Intricacy is often overlooked when accompanied by the sort of plain-spoken straight talk fashioned by Calgary singer-songwriter Carter Felker. Evoking the memory of such luminaries as Clark, Van Zandt and Prine, Felker’s nimble self-accompaniment neatly underscores the raw, universal themes he brings to life with his reedy tenor.

Possessing an innate ability to weave no-bullshit narratives that speak to the genuine travails of the hard done by, Felker’s latest LP, Even The Happy Ones Are Sad is a sublime interpretation of the underground country and folk sounds of the early to mid-1970s. Felker has the common touch, introducing audiences to a litany of born losers who still have enough pride to stand their ground, to take care of themselves and their loves, and keep digging through the hard luck, always in the hope that good fortune might be found a little deeper down.