Every now and then a musician will come along with the type of voice that will get under your skin and stay with you for a long time. In the past, that’s happened to me with such artists as Hozier and KALEO, but I was side swiped in 2017 when my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist delivered to me a track called “Driver” by a new artist on the scene, Billy Raffoul. His voice instantly made my list of top favorite male voices in the industry.
Billy comes from the small town of Leamington, Ontario. He and his brother, Peter, both followed in the footsteps of his singer/songwriter father, Jody Raffoul. Despite the musical legacy of his family, Billy is making a name for himself with the music he’s been releasing since his 2017 debut. I saw him play the Troubadour in Los Angeles earlier this year, where I had the chance to hear a few of the tracks that he was working on for his newest album.
For All These Years debuts on October 20th, 2023 and houses a wide variety of what Billy Raffoul has to offer. The album kicks off with “Bliss,” a slower song with a catchy beat, and he sets you up for the “double shot of bliss” that his album is about to deliver to your senses.
Billy really shines with his ballads, as that’s when his voice has the chance to tear your heart to shreds through the lyrics and melody. This is showcased in tracks two and three, but it’s track three, “I Wish You Were Here,” that really hits it home with the raspy heartbreak voice that he’s able to deliver, and that continues onward into “In My Arms.”
Track five offers a lovely tribute to his father, Jody. “My Old Man,” tells stories of how Billy embraces the fact that growing up to turn into his father isn’t such a bad thing after all. What follows is another ballad that may be a hard listen for anyone who knows what it’s like to love an alcoholic, “Drive You Home.” It’s beautiful, but it also brings up some deep feelings.
Thankfully, after that gut punch of emotion, things pick up a bit so that you can dance it out with “We Could Get High,” which is probably one of his most energetic tracks to date when it comes to danceability, followed by “Alligator,” which I got to hear him debut back at the Troubadour on his last live tour.
A big stand out track for me comes next – “Michael.” This track delivers heavy head banging guitar riffs that remind me of some of what The White Stripes did in the early 2000s, and also calls back to the power that “Driver” delivered back in 2017 when Billy stormed onto the music scene. I hope that he’ll continue to explore this side of his musicianship more, as I love it when he dives into his power.
The album slows down again for the final three tracks, gifting us with more soulful love song vibes, acoustic guitar, and even a tribute to the film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (though its name isn’t mentioned in the song, simply titled, “Jim Carrey”).
My only hope is that Billy Raffoul will deliver some of his music on vinyl at some point in the near future, because I think that his voice and sound would lend itself wonderfully to that scratchy and magnificent sound quality. If you have a chance to see him live, I highly recommend it! Check out his tour schedule for the rest of the year here: https://billyraffoul.com/tour/
Now… turn down the lights, find somewhere comfortable to set yourself, pour your favorite beverage, and let your brain and heart take the journey that is For All These Years. The album is out NOW:
The Indy Review 
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