AHREN MCGUIRE
Arts Writer

The name Royal almost speaks for itself, and it suits Canadian musician Royal Wood very well.

His music displays a dapper professional refinement. According to Wood this can be attributed to growing up in a family who listened to an older era of music.

“There was a far more professional tone to [the music]. You went to see a performance, you went to see a show and you went to the theater. That really translated itself into my performance, the way I carry myself on stage.”

It has paid dividends as he was titled iTunes “Songwriter of the Year” and many of his songs have been featured on prominent television shows like Grey’s Anatomy with the song “Mirror Without” off his 2007 release A Good Enough Day.

His latest album, The Waiting, is a remarkable oeuvre with a balance of complex piano chord progressions and clear lyrical presence; while technically impressive, there is a friendly appeal.

Wood explained that the title derived itself from “a shift that [he] was going through at the time. You wait for love lost, and when it will return. When you have it, you wonder when you are going to lose it”¦ it’s far more grounded to be just in the now and that led to the title The Waiting.”

The shifts he speaks of relate to priorities changing and aspects in life that “aren’t something you are aware of but definitely happen.”

The new album also marks an important transition in his musical career. There is a Dylanesque progression at play where he is creating “more of a band sound, a rockier sound.”

A very notable point about the album is that it is the first album that Wood did not produce himself. For this album he employed the services of Pierre Marchand, who has worked with many prominent musicians like Rufus Wainwright and Ron Sexsmith — artists that Wood is often compared to.

Wood said this new addition was a “brand new scary experience to let other people into the vision.”

“I knew the direction I wanted to go, which is why I picked Pierre Marchand.”

He also had a bigger budget and feels that he was working at a much more professional level. Wood draws from a wide range of musical influences and notes the jazz influence through groups like the Glenn Miller Band and Dorsey but also notes that he feels “Lennon and McCartney are the most genius operating duo;” a fair statement.

There is a certain pleasure in hearing intelligent music where the songs aren’t simply 1-4-5, and the upcoming show is a prime opportunity to hear and see the sophisticated and elegant appeal of Royal Wood.

Royal Wood plays at the Broadway Theater on Oct. 15 with Hannah Goergas.

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image: Ivan Otis