From David Yazbeck @ North by East West: Last June, I had the great pleasure of seeing Aaron Allen and the Small City Saints at the Elmdale. Despite a small crowd, the band played a fantastic, energetic set. Based in southwestern Ontario (where my hometown is!), Aaron Allen is an excellent songwriter, with a penchant for crafting intimate stories about regular people, including himself, with intricate melodies. The self-titled Aaron Allen and the Small City Saints (Yellow Bike Records, 2007) is a great record, with heartfelt tales sung to well crafted roots rock/alt-country a la Steve Earle. "Drinkin'", which Aaron tells me is one of his favourites, is a standout track. The refrain "I hate myself, sometimes" kills me every time. But Allen is also wonderful with more mellow, singer/songwriter solo songs, and his first solo CD, Aaron Allen (theFutureKing, 2006), is an excellent example of Canadian "americana". His voice and tempo remind me very much of Matt Pryor (New Amsterdams, Get Up Kids), and the songwriting is just as good.