When my grandmother died a few years back, I went on somewhat of a naïve quest to discover my roots and learn more about my father’s side of the family. It was a motivating and ultimately fruitless journey, but the sense of discovery I experienced was well worth the trip. As I wound myself around tales from relatives of family history and examined family trees, I hoped that I would discover some sort of lesson that would deepen my sense of self. Instead of a lesson at the end, I learned that sometimes the journey itself is more compelling.

Perhaps Justin Lamoureux discovered the same thing.

As the frontman for folk collective Midwest Dilemma, his family’s history serves as the theme for his group’s debut. Timelines & Tragedies explores the journey of Lamoureux’s ancestors from days of French Canadian fur trading to his present day life in Omaha. Along the way, notes of the Vietnam War and his parents’ generation highlight the tale.

The story begins in “Montreal,” as Lamoureux and his 20+ member crew paints a visual picture that is ripe with crackling ice, swirling mist, and other chilly influences. The liner notes put a date on the proceedings in the Quebec locale: 1662. The song’s easy flow conjures visions of a voyage to new lands, stunningly unfolding with the use of strings and deepening bass.

Timelines & Tragedies continues through the family account, exploring life as a “Fur Trader” in 1872 and venturing through “The Great Depression” in 1933. Lamoureux’s informal style gives each song a sense of steadiness and adds strength to the storytelling, putting us squarely in the locations and situations he describes.

Lamoureux brings woodwinds and strings into a sort of march on “Good Samaritan,” a song that describes an individual (possibly his father?) going through life starting in 1949. “19 years old, I was off to Vietnam,” Justin says insolently.

Elizabeth Webb joins Lamoureux and fleshes out some beautiful vocals on the record’s title track, giving the tune a silky folk quality that never overreaches or becomes kitschy. And “Lucille” is somewhat reminiscent of Counting Crows, unfolding with delicate splendour over passionate, poignant lyrics.

The journey closes with “Omaha” and “Damage Done,” a pair of down-to-earth tracks that really bring out the character of Midwest Dilemma as a company of extraordinarily-talented musicians fronted by a vastly appealing vocalist and lyricist.

Timelines & Tragedies is perhaps the thrilling family history I wish I had unearthed, but it is also thoughtful and plain. As though they belong in any family album, the recordings on this record represent far more than a measly slice of life for everyday people with footsteps across history. Instead, Midwest Dilemma has constructed a journey for the spirit.