Most straightforwardly outlined on its lead single and opening track, “Silencio,” Patrick Watson’s Uh Oh was originally conceived as an album free of Watson’s striking vocals entirely. In a three-month period where he lost his voice completely, unsure if he’d ever be able to sing again, Watson set out instead to find some of his favourite vocalists to set to his and his band’s instrumental work.

You’d never know it – now having regained his vocal ability and adding his own contributions, he has the kind of malleable, ethereal voice that can blend perfectly with any collaborator, whether it’s the country-adjacent twang of Martha Wainwright or the icy tones of Charlotte Oleena (who Watson apparently met when she served him coffee at his favourite local stop) on the show-stopping title track. Watson scores films as well, and you can tell – from a handful of touching piano melodies to the ominous backdrop of “Peter and the Wolf” that could have come right out of a horror film, he’s a master of reflecting his words back in the instrumental.

While he now jokes about how the experience taught him that he talks too much, you can imagine just how terrified Watson must have been during those three months – Watson didn’t just lose his voice, he lost his livelihood, and his form of artistic expression. As a result, it sounds even more like he’s making every note count here. Even if they’re quiet and breathy, they’re emotionally potent. A handful of lyrics reflect Watson learning to deeply treasure the voice he has – both literally and metaphorically. We’re all the more lucky to hear it.