july 2020
Spotify
Apple Music
This track leads with its biggest hook and keeps coming back to it. It punches hard and keeps the whole shaggy contraption from falling apart.
The verses tell a story about being an awkward passive aggressive dude in an uncomfortable social situation which is a very Andy Shauf thing. He builds anticipation with the pre-chorus, and then...just kind of slips into a dreamy halftime, like he got distracted by something in the distance, and there's a woodwind section fluttering away, and no words, he just sings "do di doo..." Love it.
Fifth album from a Toronto band I never heard of. Sounds like CSN&Y or something from Workingman's Dead. Nice chord progression. The half-bar grabs the ear, and I like how it modulates into the relative minor, then comes back. The vocal is sung meekly but with a lot of conviction ("and i don't go in for drinking, or carrying on with other women, i ain't smoked since you got pregnant, babe", aw).
An Elephant 6 band, and it shows. Rollicking beat, dense sharp lyrics, flat delivery...Small town slacker weirdo rock, like a gay Pavement with horns.
Elizabeth Powell, born in Guelph, formed a band at Concordia, did well in the '00s, re-surfaced with a great album last year. I really like the rhythm section on this record, it's very delicate but it still bops.
Bangy heartfelt indie rock circa 2004, with an emotionally naked lead vocal that carries the day.
Like Shirley Bassey fronting Radiohead.
Basically Norwegian Deerhoof.
A lot like the Land of Talk song, a dreamy romantic mid-tempo chugger with a catchy chorus and an invigorating key change right near the end.
Straight up 80s AOR soft rock. I love it, I'm not ashamed.
Is it a band? A husband-and-wife team? A lifestyle brand? Dunno, but I like how the pocket changes for the chorus.
Some dude earnestly singing "I want to see everything! I want to see the world!" over and over again in English, German and French. I find it kind of heartbreaking.
So, so emo, with sudden and inexplicable bouts of cow bell.