Who is ROY? ROY is the alias of Patrick Lefler; undoubtedly one of Toronto’s most vital musical fulcrums. As an in-demand musical collaborator, producer and recordist, Patrick has played a role in virtually every record that has emerged from downtown Toronto’s ongoing psychedelic renaissance. An actual polymath at work whether producing, writing, or playing, you can hear his indelible sonic signature on the latest records by Possum, Bart, The Royal Family, Hieronymus Harry, and others. ROY is Patrick’s solo outlet and Spoons for the World is his 5th full length, 3rd for Idée Fixe, and a return to a physical format following up his deeply conceptualized digital manifesto, Capitalism. Roy’s Garage (Patrick’s previous release for Idée Fixe) was widely celebrated with four star reviews in Mojo, Record Collector, and Shindig (whose Camilla Aisa declared Roy’s Garage “An impeccable modern compendium of lysergic ’60’s charms”) while stateside Raven Sings The Blues’ musical documentarian Andy French declared “Patrick Lefler packs Roy’s Garage with the finer points of a deep dive into the 45 pile of an avid psych-pop sound bath.”
Three years on from Roy’s Garage, Spoons for the World feels like a new chapter in the book of ROY. The album heralds a lyrical style that moves away from the paranoid commentary of the external to a newfound focus on the relationships to the people and places that comprise Patrick’s personal world. An album chock full of contributions from some of Toronto’s most skilled session players, Spoons is a revelation at every turn and Patrick’s most mature record to date. Opening with the abundantly optimistic Spoons For The World, the album’s namesake is a rolling kitchen jammer featuring Kali Horse’s Des and Sam’s homespun harmonies that help punctuate the song’s message of the promise to be found in each new day. What follows is I Ride The Highway which introduces ROY the piano balladeer and, paired with Side A closer and lead single Now You Know, shows the stunning depth of Patrick’s songcraft. Sweetening sessions of strings and vibraphone at the behest and direction of collaborator Jeff McMurrich, paired with ROY’s sonic compliment, recall the golden age of studio sessions with nods to Tim Buckley, Fred Neil and Lee Hazelwood. Gorgeous and emotional reflections that can’t help but leave one stirred.
Side B is a classic deep cut affair with opener Cold Water In My Tea most closely resembling ROY’s previous work. With acoustics still at the record’s center, the tune stands at the precipice of early folk rock, replete with flute and electric leads. One can imagine the tune plucked straight from a night spent soundtracking The Matrix club, or perhaps a Mime Troupe benefit long before the Acid Tests truly went mainstream. What follows is the loner psych folk of A Message From The Other Side and the the swung, psychedelic and reverberated ode to astral traveling Dreamer Knows. Closer Let The Light In is a tribute to a cul de sac home that acts as a metaphor and, perhaps, as a new personal mantra, thereby perfectly bookending the album’s message of optimism. No matter how you found your way to ROY, there is a treasure trove of music to be discovered and, with certainty, there is much more to come.
