A first spin through the solo debut by Calgary’s John Rutherford reveals a creepy, crooked and often melancholy world, richly painted in vintage sounds and ideas. And while that impression sticks through subsequent listens, the resounding echo from this Echo Broadcast is that this is a collection of music from a collection of people who love music. Whether Rutherford calls to mind Tom Waits with a gruff tango or trail riding with a twangy shuffle, it’s clear that he, producer Lorrie Matheson and their all-star band of locals have poured their knowledge and passion into every nook and cranny on this record. With its references to dusty old 78s, its array of old-school instrumentation, synthesized static and Rutherford’s gravelly monologues, the aptly titled Echo Broadcast often sounds like a lost radio transmission from another time. It’s raw and smoky and despite having a foot in the past, it’s undoubtedly a blues album for the new millennium.