( ( ( MONO * * * RECORD ) ) ) is a marquee label worn like a badge of honour by Halifax-based Willie Stratton‘s latest release titled Della Rosa. While these brand new six tracks feel like a few minutes longer than an EP, or a couple songs short of an album, Della Rosa neither drags on nor abruptly drops off. This current musical outing for Willie Stratton finds him navigating the listener through a field of rootsy flavour while picking and wailing like a wild Nova Scotian Hali-billy. With a stylistic sentiment that screams heartily with nostalgia, the passion and precision of Stratton’s hoots, croons and hollers prevents any piece of Della Rosa from feeling inauthentic or costumed. Soaring the sonic landscape and rugged terrain of dust bowl folk, raggedy hot club jazz, and the prominent glory days of early drawling Nashville country, Willie Stratton proves his ability to make you weep, stomp and swing all within the matter of minutes.

Della Rosa kicks off with a title track that immediately offers an eclectic taste in the instrumental arrangements of Willie Stratton’s newest songbook. A sleepwalking guitar surfs the introduction underneath the starry hooded sky of cinematic and moody strings. From here we gallivant some unique pit-stops along the Stratton trail with the lighthearted elbow jab of “Moving Day”, the Jimmie Rodgers-esque blues yodel of “Moaning Over You”, the heartfelt folksy duet of “Lonesome Rambler” (Featuring Kim Harris), a return to the cinematic with the instrumental wagon-hitcher “Oh By Jingo! Oh By Gee!”, and then cluing up with the swanky swing of “Sweeten Me Up”.

You an go grab the digital download or compact disc on Willie Stratton’s bandcamp.

Check out WillieStratton.com