I've had Jeremie Albino's record Tears You Hide playing in fairly steady rotation at our place since seeing him at the StanFest musical festival in Canso, Nova Scotia in 2023. Albino wowed me with his strong, disarming voice and confident stage presence, and he's even better in the studio. I find the jaunty second track on this album, "Angeline," perfect for shaking off the day's stresses while I'm cooking supper in the evening. "Across the Hall" is easily the best pandemic-themed tune I've come across. And just when you think he's going to let us go happily on our way with his track, "Tumbleweed," he absolutely shatters us with the haunting number "Early Morn." This tune contains the lyric "I hate your guts ... but I wish you the best" - so much emotional nuance in just a few words. This is an album worth checking out.
— Mark Sampson has published eight books. His most recent include the post-apocalyptic sex-romp novel All the Animals on Earth (Wolsak & Wynn, 2020) and the poetry chapbook Big Wilson (Emergency Flash Mob Press, 2023). Born and raised on Prince Edward Island, he now lives, writes, and drinks cocktails in Toronto.
You can read Mark Sampson's story in Issue 300 Summer Fiction 2024. Order the issue now:
Order Issue 300 - Summer Fiction 2024 (Canadian Addresses)
Order Issue 300 - Summer Fiction 2024 (International Addresses)
