JF Robitaille is a born storyteller. But ask any of the canonized—Dylan, Kerouac, Scorcese—and they’ll tell you the same thing: storytelling and human experience are inseparable. And that, perhaps, is why Rival Hearts’ narratives feel so vividly authentic—his folk songs are painted with uncut globs of humanity. For anyone familiar with his work, though, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Still cherished in his hometown for his cerebral work with his ex-band, Montreal indie-rock darlings The Social Register, Robitaille explored folkier territories with his acclaimed 2011 album, Cale…
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