When Geoff Berner first appeared on the Canadian music scene over 10 years ago, his caustically humourous, politically charged songs — performed on his primary instrument, the accordion—immediately set him apart. But with each album he has released over the ensuing decade, the Vancouver native’s loyal fan base all over the world has consistently grown to the point that Billy Bragg’s manager, Peter Jenner, now handles Berner’s business affairs.

While Berner’s latest album, Victory Party, still probably won’t land him any arena gigs anytime soon, it is a major step forward in terms of expanding his sound and potentially expanding his audience. It’s also his first release on the highly regarded Vancouver label, Mint Records.

The catalyst for Victory Party’s sound was producer Josh Dolgin, also known as the innovative Montreal hip-hop artist Socalled. Their common ground was traditional Jewish klezmer music, and for the first time — with Dolgin’s help — Berner has been able to fully integrate it with his songwriting.

“I ardently, breathlessly pursued [Josh],” Berner says. “I had admired him from afar for years. Bob Cohen, my klezmer guru, spotted him as the kid to watch and gave me burned CDs of his live stuff. There really is no one like Josh Dolgin. He is a true genius.”

However, Berner adds that it took some time to strike the right balance in the studio between his rough-edged approach and Dolgin’s often more groove-oriented ideas. Yet, Berner describes the end results as the fully realized expression of his musical vision that he’s been able to capture on record to this point.

This is certainly cause for Berner’s longtime fans to rejoice, but any potential breakthroughs that Victory Party might make could hinge on a growing rediscovery of klezmer music. “It’s very hard for me to get a handle on the world,” Berner says. “I know on this European tour I’m on right now, and at the shows in Western Canada, there are more people at our shows, buying more albums, than ever before.

“This is not supposed to be the way the music business is going, I hear. Josh is a bona fide star in France and Germany, and a bunch of other places too. There are a lot of other bands out there in Europe especially, playing Jewish music with an edge to it. It feels like there’s something happening, but who am I to say?”

What Berner is more likely to discuss, especially now that the latest federal election is in full swing, is his burning desire to see Stephen Harper thrown out of office. “I hope that people will vote for whoever has the best chance of defeating a Tory in their riding in this election,” he says.

“Young people are being trained to think that ‘all politics is b.s., man,’ which makes them participate less, and the Tories like that just fine. Even indie music culture I think can reflect that a bit. A lot of people are afraid to say anything political because they’re afraid of ridicule, or being pigeon-holed as a ‘political’ band. The thing is, if you leave politics entirely out of your songwriting, you are amputating an aspect of life from your work.”

jays@golden.net

Who: Geoff Berner w/Rae Spoon

When: Tuesday, April 12

Where: Van Gogh’s Ear, Guelph

Cost: $10

Doors: 7:30 p.m.

More Info: 519-821-9864