Serena Ryder — Is It O.K

Is It O.K came to life in Los Angeles and New York, but Toronto's country darling managed to keep her album's appearance decidedly north-of-the-border. A picture on the interior presents Ryder in the midst of enraptured dance in the Big Smoke's Dakota Tavern. Ryder's music would certainly fit well in that driftwood-walled joint, since her fourth full-length is a full-bodied alt.country affair. Most songs are crowded (but never congested) with banjo, mandolin, piano, glockenspiel, backing vocals and a number of guitars. Lyrically, Is It O.K is par for Ryder's introspective course. But there are a few instances, between bouts of acerbic wit, when things get a little too mushy. There's a lot to take in here — so much to swallow that it's tough to pick out specifically memorable tunes. It probably won't win her accolades outside of her home nation, but Is It O.K is a better than average offering as far as country-tinged Can-rock goes.

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