Slipped Through The Cracks - 2022
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Slipped Through The Cracks
Today we are happy to deliver our list of albums that “Slipped Through The Cracks” in 2022. Even with a team of nearly thirty volunteer writers, the Cups N Cakes Network cannot cover every album. We try to stay in the know about music being released from coast to coast but sometimes we don’t learn about a record until it’s a bit too old to cover as “brand new” music. Today, we continue our annual tradition of looking back at releases that we failed to cover the past year. Your day just got better, please enjoy digging into our list of releases that “Slipped Through The Cracks.”
Art d’Ecco
After The Head Rush // Paper Bag Records
British Columbia based artist, Art d’Ecco, delivered us a great new album in 2022. After The Head Rush is an absolute head banger full of glam, charm and rock. Released this past June through Paper Bag Records, the ten tracks in this album guarantee you an uplifting and powerful musical experience.
Art d’Ecco has created an impressive new movement of fashionable rock in Canada with his previous three records (2016’s Day Fevers, 2018’s Trespassers and 2021’s In Standard Definitions). While he’s staying true to his original glam style and influences, he is also embracing change, not only in his looks but also in his sound by introducing new sonic elements that make After The Head Rush sound bigger and more energetic than his past work.
The opening track, “Palm Slave,” is packed with distorted guitars, punchy piano keys and synths that make the song sound so powerful, a great way to start the record. The following track, “I Was A Teenager”, is an unapologetic tale of self awareness; as if the artist captured multiple life lessons in the lyrics. The song starts with a catchy guitar riff accompanied by an almost disco like drum beat that will get you dancing in no time. And if you want to keep the dancing energy going then “Until The Sun Comes up” is another must listen. The combinations of d'Ecco's singing style accompanied by a mean bass riff and steady drums make this song a keeper.
After The Head Rush, in my opinion, is Art d’Ecco’s best work so far. The sonic evolution that can be witnessed in these songs prove that d’Ecco has a unique musical vision that is capable of taking what has been done before and giving life back to it with modern instrumentation and a true desire for making good music. Don’t miss out on this record like we did!
- Fel Gamarra
Baby Labour
Kissin’ Hands and Shakin’ Babies // Glue Gun Records
For weirdos who are fans of “out their'' music, Baby Labour’s latest, Kissin’ Hands and Shakin’ Babies, is going to hit hard for you with four tracks of instrumental twisted math rock. Leanings into noisier bits are common and very little is straightforward throughout the Guelph based group’s latest effort.
Tracks are often carried by complexly rhythmic guitar melodies that act as an anchor as the band blends different twists and B parts before returning to songs signature lines. With three of the four tracks extending over eight minutes the band has plenty of room to experiment and let the sounds rise and fall at their will.
Tonally what Baby Labour is capable of wielded with two guitarists is huge. Guitarists Dan Loughrin and Troy Lafontaine’s chemistry and ability to interplay guitar parts makes for some of the most outrageous guitar tones. The sounds are so tasty and absolutely thrilling.
The band's final effort with long-time guitarist Troy Lafontaine delivers on all ends Baby Labour. I fell in love with this band with their debut Aruban Sandwich and three records in, they’ve never disappointed. Now wielded with two new members one can only speculate what kind of sonic cacophony these incredibly talented musicians will conjure in the future.
- Kennedy Pawluk
Bennett Mitchell
Mouse // Self-Released
Calgary’s own Bennett Mitchell released his third album, Mouse, in February of 2022. Thankfully he ascended back to the top after slipping through the cracks of album reviews. As I have said before, when reviewing an album, I do just that, start at track one and listen until the end. This time, when I hit track four, “Leaving Town”, I hit the back button and listened again! I caught myself closing my eyes, squinting my eyes, and getting caught up in the emotion and rhythm of the song. The guitar solo is so moving, playing exactly what the song needed, not too much, not too little. The solo then lingers in the background and hands the emotion off to Bennett’s striking and stirring vocals.
Mouse reflects on Bennett’s growing and becoming who he is at this particular time and place in his life, focusing on his journey from childhood. Bennett was gifted with a creative, open and experimental mind and soul. Mouse is stunning and contains so many real life sounds within each track, capturing the sounds of the room, including receiving a phone call while recording. I absolutely love that he left the phone call on the track. His music has elements of country, soul, and perhaps even the blues and pop. As a side note, he uses a Jew’s Harp on one of the tracks. I appreciated that surprise.
It is so rewarding and comforting to hear a younger generation creating captivating and mood stirring music. Take a few minutes and introduce yourself to Bennett Mitchell. Don’t allow his music to slip through again.
- Branton Langley
Blonde Diamond
Magnetic Strangers // Self-Released
The debut LP Magnetic Strangers from Vancouver band Blonde Diamond is fully stacked with finely polished, top-of-the-line musical gems. The album opens with ominous sounds reminiscent of old-time Spaghetti Westerns before later dropping into disco on “Man with No Name”– foreshadowing an album full of surprise, character, and carefully curated production choices. With dynamic, intricate drumming by partner Malcolm Holt in the vein of Twenty One Pilots and Paramore, plus glistening guitars & synths by bandmates Louis Hearn & Bruce Ledingham, vocalist Alexis Young confidently takes the lead on one of the catchiest albums of 2022.
Young wastes no time showcasing her talents, bending between falsetto and full voice in the assertive hook of the opening track: “...and I live too close to the source of the flame, don’t try to extinguish the fire that I blaze”. And this is a fair warning since the band continues to carry fiery momentum full of boisterous creativity throughout the album, as noted by Young on “Dreamland”: “...I’m free, I’m coming at you like a supernova”. Early album highlights “Strange Times”, “Dreamland”, and “In the Dark” can draw comparisons to Canadian contemporaries like Metric and Begonia, but Blonde Diamond’s theatrical playfulness and stylistic choices on Magnetic Strangers allow them to carve out their own place in this country’s elbow-room-only alternative-indie landscape.
The second half of the album holds some of its shiniest moments. “Red Flags” finds Young ruminating on a doomed relationship: “All champagne from the start, soft fingertips leave marks, your eyes on my whole heart, and then you crushed it.” The smooth nature of this r&b influenced diss-track could bring to mind a vision of The Spice Girls supporting Young while they wave their fingers in disgust during the hook: “it’s danger, all red flags, I’m stronger, walk away, you’re danger, all red flags, tear away the hold you have on me.” Following the moodiness of “Red Flags” is the bright and punchy “We Just Wanna Dance”, featuring lyrics like: “shake it, shake it, shake it, ya!”, and the Gaga sing-speak bridge: “let us sin, you want us in, let us sin, we just wanna dance”. The album comes full circle with closing track “Losing Control” by returning to the cutting guitar tones and character-filled singing similarly flaunted on the album’s opening song. Blonde Diamond’s debut LP Magnetic Strangers bounces between genres but never misses a beat and leaves listeners with a clear introduction to one of Canada’s boldest new bands.
- Gregory Torwalt
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
all lights fucked on the hairy amp drooling // Self-Released
This was an album that was never meant to be heard. Self-recorded by Efrim Menuck in 1993, only thirty-three cassettes were made of this proto-Godspeed project, given to friends and sold at a show in a used clothing store in Moncton in ‘94. But as the band’s rise to prominence brought with it a tide of ravenous fans, rumors of this holy grail hidden deep in their discography were resurrected. The extreme rarity of the artifact, as well as the band’s notoriously aloof presence, elevated all lights lights fucked on the hairy amp drooling to almost legendary status. Sadly, in February of 2022, Menuck caught wind of a leak of the album on YouTube, and he felt he had little choice but to finally release all lights himself on Godspeed’s Bandcamp, nearly thirty years after its creation.
Crystallized during a tough period in his early twenties living in Montréal, all lights was recorded over a period of six months, during which Menuck would come home from the bar and pour out everything he was feeling onto his guitar, four-track and Space Echo. The following morning, he’d listen to what he’d recorded, salvaging and building off the parts that resonated. The resulting songs scorch and rip, mulching up samples of Evel Knievel and warbling strings one moment then collapsing into screaming guitar feedback the next. They showcase the fiery, apocalyptic sensibility that would pervade the future albums of the post-rock giants, with sizzling tape noise shot through with sudden bursts of melody, light. The singing on the album is pained, intensely emotional, and the poetry is grim, lysergic and pure.
The album was created by Menuck as a kind of final statement, a parting coup de grâce on the state of music at the time, a farewell fuck-you to what he saw as played-out and hollow gestures in rock music. Though the circumstances of its release are regrettable, the power of the music is as devastating as ever, and it is an undeniably important milestone. It may not be a Godspeed You! Black Emperor album, strictly speaking— but its spirit is just as unsettlingly beautiful, just as haunting and shifting and mystifying, just as rawly emotional, and just as fearless in its conviction.
- Harman Burns
Jai Nitai Lotus
Know the Shades // Backed By Higher Power
This new release from Montreal-based MC and producer Jai Nitai Lotus describes itself as “a musical journey that delves deep into a space in between the polarizing dualities of the human experience.”
With a sound reminiscent of Death Grips and Wu, this album takes the poetic delivery of hip-hop and utilizes it to create a visceral and thought provoking listening experience. This is the kind of album you could play at both a party and in your own headphones.
While most contemporary trap music takes a monotone vocal delivery, Know the Shades goes out of its way to deliver an emotional performance. This is best seen in the third track “DEAD WEIGHT”, which features voice crackling screams and autotuned cooing. This sound is the epitome of the album's passion and courage.
Vocals aside, the album's beats go pretty damn hard. While many independent releases feature bare bones beats that can reveal an artist’s experience, the beats behind Know the Shades are chalk full of nuance and minutiae that gives it a life of itself.
Another thing about this album is the sixth track “SAMURAI & THE LOTUS” features some French raps from fellow MC, Yasuke. Now, I don’t think I’ve ever heard French rap before, and although I don’t understand French, that makes it all the more enjoyable, basing my thoughts off its tone alone.
The song that follows opens with a spoken word form and featuring some MIDI horns which structure the song together as it progresses.
Each track in this album takes its own life and has a variety of tones and ground that shows the bravery that lies behind Jai Nitai Lotus. For a guy stuck in the past of 90’s gangster rap, it’s albums like this that help to bridge the gap between new school and old school.
- Brandon Kruze
JEEN
Tracer // Red Brick Songs
Although perhaps a commentary on the current stream-based music industry, it continues to amaze me how much top level talent floats around today's Canadian Music Scene. Toronto indie-rock / alt-pop artist, JEEN, is the perfect example of this; she's an amazing singer who has recently put out a stunning ten song collection of pop songs on her latest album Tracer.
This LP perfectly embodies our new post-pandemic life. It is full of songs daring to go big and epic, while others retreat to the quiet isolation we've all grown accustomed to. It is definitely not a one note journey, and is filled with incredible production and songwriting.
The whole experience can be lived through the lead single, "On and On". A song starting out with a simple arpeggiated guitar and driving kick drums promise good things to come. Some phased and doubled vocals lead us right up to the drop, before a flawless power-pop chorus hits with brilliantly layered guitars and vocals. The song continues to ramp back and forth through these dynamics, but always remains interesting with the clever use of auxiliary textures. Pop it in the car and sing the loud parts out loud while stuck in traffic, or use some headphones and discover the many intricate background sounds that make this more than just a simple pop anthem.
Along with plenty of other high energy tunes ("No Way Around" and "Diamond" are great examples), JEEN balances the album with some more emotional songs. "Little Idea" is a singer-songwriter styled gem, and even with just guitar and vocals, the spatial richness is amazing with the brilliant use of pads and reverb. The best song, however, that really connects at a gut level is the title track "Tracer". She is so good at crafting anthemic songs that naturally build, and then fulfill themselves without seeming forced. The chorus is nothing short of brilliant, and makes you feel like you could be in a scene from a blockbuster movie.
JEEN's work is absolutely stunning. She is definitely on her way to becoming a household name along the lines of Metric and Dragonette. Tracer ticks all the boxes of layered emotional pop-rock and you won't be disappointed to check it out.
- Matt Budd
Jessica Moss
Galaxy Heart // Constellation Records
There is no way that Jessica Moss could release an album without us here at Cup N Cakes noticing. Galaxy Heart’s absence in our regular coverage is a tragedy, but we’re here to rectify that blind spot. For the uninitiated, Moss is violinist of Canadian music royalty with connections to Broken Social Scene, Fidget, The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, and countless other collaborations. She even parents a child with Efrim Manuck. In Canadian music, a resume can’t be any more stacked than that.
Galaxy Heart is a companion piece to her 2021 release Phosphenes and it carries the torch from where it was left in 2021. The addition of GH makes a whole, well-rounded experience. Moss found herself here by way of unburdening herself from guardrails and limitations as she went in search of music that wouldn’t be constrained by a single LP release. Moss has a lot to say with her violin, and I get the sense that Galaxy Heart isn’t her destination, but another sojourn along the way.
Galaxy Heart is the confluence of restraint and freedom, like Phosphenes wild younger sibling trying to live up to their older sibling’s expectations. There is peace, stillness, motion, and an unshackled catharsis, but Moss never loses control. At times I found myself yearning for more energy, more noise, more groove, more, more… But it soon became clear untethered angst wasn’t the goal, but lucid and restrained contentment. Moss has a way of gently turning up the temperature without us noticing, like a frog in water - what can feel underwhelming at first can have you overwhelmed by feeling in the very next moment. Moss doesn’t want you to know how she feels, she wants you to feel it with her.
Moss’ extensive experience in Canadian post rock clearly informs the direction of these albums, and the effect it has on the listener is no less potent than a post rock noise machine. Galaxy Heart is a movie score for weary pandemic travellers, a salve for our tired bones. It’s an album that continues to bloom with each subsequent listen and will grow with you each time you return to it. Jessica Moss is not to be missed.
- Clay Geddert
Jim Bryson
Country Wifi // Fixed Hinge Recordings
I’m sitting on a plane headed to Hamilton…. I put on my headphones, sit back, relax and put on the new Jim Bryson record.
His whisper style of singing is the first thing that stands out for me, this is my first time spending some time with his music.
As the hustle and bustle of the airport thrives busily all around me, I stare out from my seat at the tarmac and settle in. Hamilton is a long way from Saskatoon and I’m ready to dive in.
The guitar on the first track comes in along side some very sporadic violin(?) lines… offering a busy backdrop for his acoustic stylings. The song, “The Funny Thing Is”, falls into the comfortable spot for songwriters….. asking questions….reflection.
How does he get that cool piano sounding guitar going on the second track?
We are delayed of course, but thankfully I have this record to keep me company….it’s a soothing record. Even when he’s talking about nefarious things like being the wolf in sheep’s clothing as in “Arrows of Hope”.
We get to Toronto and it’s too foggy to land… so we circle for an hour.
The fog keeps rolling…
The plane ride was awful save the sweet sounds of Mr. Bryson. I’m reluctant to continue until a better outside vibe presents itself.
Back in the hotel room a day later…
I obviously have to start over…
My very first second thought is that Bryson has a vast array of paint brushes. Every pass across the canvas jumps in such a way it pulls you into the painting as it becomes real.
You are gliding along with every stroke as you feel privy to a secret you never should have known.
I’m going to listen tomorrow again on the way to the airport, it’s a long ride.
You should listen too. This is one that slipped through the cracks but we are telling you about it now, don’t let this peaceful, beautiful songwriters album pass you by.
- Chris Vasseur
Jonathan Personne
Jonathan Personne // Bonsound
This self-titled album by Jonathan Personne (solo project of Jonathan Robert of Montréal franco-heavyweights Corridor) is his third, and leaves a deep impression upon the listener with its smart retro styling and instrumentation, as well as Robert’s blissful vocal melodies. The ambiance is a mélange of 60s pop, folk/country, film soundtrack (at times even spaghetti-western), and a more angular rock sound akin to Corridor’s jangles and licks.
Jonathan Personne begins with “À présent,” a bright overture for the record that sweeps us along with its filmic-sounding strings and ever present backbeat. The dreamy vocals evoke early Tame Impala (Innerspeaker) and carry us along in the song’s current. The following track, “Gold Rush,” is a quiet ballad — a patient bassline plods along steadily as it weaves through reverb-soaked castanets and rimshots, shakers, and aqueous slide guitar and synth adornments.
For fans of Corridor, Jonathan Personne should provide plenty of enjoyment. In “Deux yeux au fond d’une pièce noire” the saturated guitars are there, crackling with tremolo and practically gushing from the speakers. The vocals are expressive, sharing a moment of inspiration with an artist like Deerhunter, drawing from some of the same throwback reference points to make old things new once more. And if this album has a banger, it’s definitely “Rock and roll sur ton chemin.” This song, though heavier, reminds me in its construction of fellow Montréalers TOPS - the syncopated rhythm guitar coupled with the high-in-the-mix lead line combine to form what can only be called an “epic jam” complete with fade-out and weird reversed sample leading into the album’s sweet 60s Brian Wilson-style closer. Give this record a listen, even if you don’t speak a word of French — you’ll love it!
- Nick Maas
Julie Doiron & Dany Placard
Julie & Dany // Simone Records, Costume Records
As another (final?) year of lockdown projects, pandemic collaborations and home-recorded music comes to a close, Julie & Dany stands to me as one of the most warmly intimate albums to reflect on the tension and beauty of this imposed domesticity. Composed by a couple, Julie Doiron and Dany Placard, the songs are pleasantly wooden and spacey, brushing now and then against a dreamy, soft psychedelia; at other times, punched-up with fuzz and grit. These contrasting sounds enliven the best of each mood, and as the album rolls by, the surefootedness of the two master songwriters guides us through the pushes and pulls of the inner sphere of life in quarantine.
As an emotional document, the album sits in a unique position. In a time when life has felt isolated, distant, and now transitional— poised as we are on the precipice between the ultra-private and the gradual emergence into a so-called post-pandemic reality— this music feels like a much needed comfort. Listening to it feels something like being invited over by a friend: bringing some food, a bottle of wine, and sitting around by the fireplace with a guitar, talking long into the night. In a time when the intense interiority of life feels like it is being pried open again (willingly or not) Julie & Dany is an album that can feel like a home to return to, whenever you might need it.
- Harman Burns
Klarka Weinwurm
Easy Days // Self-Released
Sackville, New Brunswick’s garage rock band Klarka Weinwurm released a ten-track album in July and it deserves some well-earned attention. Titled Easy Days, the album is “something of an ode to our youth, our innocence and simplicity. It’s an image of time, growth, and change of tone,” as Weinwurm wrote along with the release.
The album is full of catchy guitar riffs and fun in-your-face drums, providing a sturdy platform for Weinwurm’s float-like harmonies and lyrics. A great example of this is the album-opener, “Ten Years”, which reflects on the past decade. The song hooks you with a slow build and then reels you in with a tempo change a minute in.
Easy Days concludes with an alternative version of “Coyotes in the Commons”, a song off of Weinwurm’s 2012 album Continental Drag. The alternative version is a little grittier and feels as if more character has come into play, possibly a result of the harmonies and quirky keyboard added to it.
Klarka Weinwurm does a great job of mixing garage rock with pop and adding in a taste of surf rock here and there, creating a sound that is both refreshing and familiar. With laid-back vocals and tempo changes, this band has found their sound and is having fun with it.
I am not very familiar with the garage rock scene out East, but if it anything like Klarka Weinwurm, I will definitely be taking a deep dive into the New Brunswick underground community.
-Holly-Anne Gilroy
Luna Li
Duality // AWAL Records, In Real Life Records
Luna Li, the indie dream-pop alter-ego of Toronto musician and songwriter Hannah Kim, released her debut LP Duality in March of 2022. Having spent the early part of the pandemic becoming a viral sensation by cooking up virtuosic indie jams in her bedroom using her electric guitar, bass, harp, violin, and synthesizers, Kim released the highly anticipated Duality (AWAL Records, In Real Life Records) to great acclaim.
Kim’s visual aesthetic, a highly curated vision of futuristic feminine psychedelia, perfectly complements the lean-back riff-based indie pop jams that she delivers on Duality. Established by her bedroom productions as a highly accomplished instrumentalist and composer, on her first full length record Kim also displays a knack for writing catchy and satisfying pop hooks.
Kim collaborated with some indie pop powerhouses on Duality, including Los Angeles-based producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jay Som, Chicago rapper Dreamer Isioma, and Filipino-British singer-songwriter beabadoobee. Alongside these writers, Kim explores her own duality: “I’m half-Korean and half-Canadian. Being mixed, it can sometimes feel like you belong nowhere,” she says of her experience, “So I guess this album touches on this idea of finding your identity and a place for yourself in the world.” Themes explored within include comfort in solitude (“Alone But Not Lonely”, “Space”), reflecting on childhood memories (“Cherry Pit”), and the abundant and relatable insecurities of a person in their early 20s: “I’m too young for my age / Too shy for the stage, too careful to be brave,” Kim sings in “Silver into Rain”.
Duality is a powerful and deeply listenable collage of Kim’s influences as much as it is a display of her emergent voice. Citing everything from Tame Impala to classical music, Shuggie Otis to Japanese Breakfast, Kim’s inspiration is a wellspring and her lush and intergalactic jams are always evolving.
- Sophie Noel
Lydia Képinski
Depuis // Self-Released
Lydia Képinski’s sophomore LP Depuis is the follow-up to the 2018 Polaris Prize long-listed album Premier Juin. I’ll admit…Depuis is my first introduction to Lydia Képinski…and I know very little French so these two factors made for a unique listening experience when reviewing this album that ‘Slipped through the Cracks’ of Cups N Cakes.
Depuis is an explosive collection of music regardless of whether or not you speak French. Normally I am drawn to lyrics when first listening to new music but since I couldn’t decipher the language very easily or predict upcoming words, that part of my brain was freed up to listen to the music and hear the vocals as an instrument in the songs…but still the lead instrument because Képinski’s unique delivery and personality-filled voice demands full attention. The rasp and cut that she can lean into allows her to add an extra dimension to songs when layered with heavy bass, synth, organ, and drums. The freedom and disregard for conformity heard in Képinski’s voice gives Depuis a punk edge with the polished production of a dance-pop album.
Surprising phrasing and arrangement choices by Képinski create a fun listening experience filled with curiosity about where the songs will go next. Her vocals are especially effective as she often contrasts huge musical sections with breathy, fine diction and empty spaces where she whispers enchanting sounds in your ear. Képinski excels at using this contrast, as demonstrated on album opener “Depuis”. The title track moves between softer pulsating tones and talk-singing on the verses, with an extended airy pre-chorus that drops into the album’s hardest hitting hook – encouraging listeners to lean into the potency of the chorus with a full-body bounce. The energy felt throughout this album is palpable. Other highlights include the playful “L’imposture” (perhaps you will find yourself shooting laser beams out of your fingers during the synth-filled Abba-like chorus), the conversational “MTL me déteste”, plus the mystery-movie-momentum of “Deux jours” and the sweaty non-stop dancing nightclub vibes of “Vaslaw”.
Depuis is an album made to make you dance and dancing is inevitable once you press play. The energy put into the performances can be universally experienced, and Képinski’s charisma will encourage listeners to explore the songs further to find out what she is so passionately expressing. Give yourself time to lean into the sounds of Depuis, and then, if necessary, make the most out of google translate.
- Gregory Torwalt
Maryze
8 // Hot Tramp
Maryze is a queer bilingual singer-songwriter and Montreal’s newest musical gem. Her debut album 8, a ten track experience that combines alt-pop with elements of electronic and R&B, has received critical acclaim from well known sources in the Canadian and North American music industry since its release in May of 2022. Lyrically, the LP explores the artist’s past through themes of family trauma, identity, sexuality, forgiveness and acceptance. The result is a well crafted sound with a personal message.
Here’s what you can expect from 8. The acapella and heavenly harmonies in the opening track, “Mercy Key”, are the first steps into the Maryze’s sonic landscape. The song smoothly fades into the second track, “Experiments”, an electronic banger that slowly builds up into a groovy rhythm that demands a replay.
“Emo”, the fourth track, begins with a folky guitar and vocals that evolve into a hypnotic riff that leads you to a powerful rock anthem. The next track, “Panoramic”, has a strong pop groove with dynamic rhythms that make you want to get up and move your body .“Another catchy tune is the ninth track, “Too Late”, a synth pop banger that will capture your attention with its infectious bass hook as well as the artist's vocal melodies.
The LP features the artist's first self-produced tracks and it displays a maturity in sound and songwriting noticeable from beginning to end. 8 by Maryze is a must in your playlists. There are so many emotions, evolving melodies and memorable phrases captured in these songs; and they are waiting for you to press play and listen.
- Fel Gamarra
Outtacontroller
Come Alive // Self-Released
Outtacontroller have been on our radar for a while now. They cemented a position in our hearts with an appearance at 2019's 'This is Pop' Weekend Festival in Edmonton. Two days and two full sets later I knew they were an irresistible force. We showed them some western love for their following effort, 2020's Sure Thing. And yet, somehow my radar must have been slighty off. Without warning or fanfare, they went ahead and released their 5th full length Come Alive this past month.
I didn't know it was possible, but Outtacontroller have leaned in harder on their already formidable rhythm section. The songs tick along tightly without sounding rushed. Also new is an unexpected focus on song structure. Seemingly simultaneously, the vocals, the guitar, the bass, and the drums are all up in the mix. This is not to any detriment. Not one snare hit, nor tom roll, nor guitar lick, nor snappy verse is out of place. It's a treat to have Outtacontroller rip a la Radioactivity, or Night Birds.
For such uptempo tunes, Outtacontroller don't feel rushed on Come Alive. To the contrary, at times they feel almost patient!? This is most evident on "Hit and Run". Two bar full riffs almost constitute a guitar solo! Sure to be a favourite, "Hanging Over You" has such a satisfying chorus, you'll be singing along on the second listen. My favourite, "Gets Me Everytime" could be on a Cheap trick album.
If comparison is the thief of joy, I shouldn't be using fair comparisons. Nova Scotia's Outtacontroller have honed their craft, matured, and squeaked out one banger of a power pop album. Eleven tracks clocking just over 28 minutes of accomplished, well crafted power pop rippers. Come Alive is a new classic of the genre. Get joyful.
- Drew Cox
Plasticine Cowboy
Radiation Hymns // Self-Released
Plasticine Cowboy is the solo moniker of trans sound-artist, filmmaker, and Cups N Cakes writer - Harman Burns. Her album Radiation Hymns is a masterpiece and a meditation of the sonic, and the sacred. According to Burns, the release “takes place in a world just beside our own.” The songs are ethereal, reflective, hypnotic, and clever. With lyrics like “But as he spoke his words turned inside out his mouth,” from “Dante,” to the lines “And when they open their mouths / They will give voice to your fears,” from “Here Come the Bunnymen,” it is clear that Harman Burns is reclaiming her own voice via intelligent music-making.
Radiation Hymns is a precise collision of sounds. From gentle guitar strums, to energetic harmonica, to the subdued and steady drum track. The album has country influences that rely heavily on heartbreak - both romantic, and indescribable. It also deals with location, and lack thereof. The disembodiment Burns uses to describe herself on “(no boy),” to the way she references Christ on multiple tracks. As the EP dabbles in omnipotence, the figures become more concrete, for example, in “Dante,” Burns sings “Upstairs God is sleeping, so please don’t wake him up.” The release sees Burns trying to establish herself - as related by identity, and location - summed up beautifully in the song “Home:”
“Well I’m not anyone, and I’m not from ‘round here”
The record simultaneously discusses the heavens, and the world outside our own. With the tension Burns creates, it allows other instruments to accent the tracks, such as a tambourine. The music builds and shrinks, the sharp and clever lyrics solidify Burns’ songwriting prowess, and the ever-present tension leaves the listener enjoying a satisfying suspense.
Toying with the idea of folk influences, and balancing them with complex and experimental sounds, there is a tension generated, and it is deliciously utilized. The songs also deal with romance, and further locating themselves emotionally. Radiation Hymns is nothing short of brilliant. The album is memorable, exploratory, and incredibly brave. To indulge in the mind of someone who has created their own world is to enjoy the glory of music.
- Kyra MacFarlane
Spank Williams
Discount Cowboy // Ripsesh Record
On June 10th of this year, Vancouver-based hooligan-genius and avant-country aficionado, Spank Williams (aka Max Earchuk) graced the Canadian public with Discount Cowboy. Chiefly, the album is a never-boring mise en place of vintage country, ragtime, surf, folk and jazz. A hearty eclectic soup. But more than mere stylistic contortionism, Discount Cowboy is a succinct, deliciously chaotic journey through the mind of Spank, wherein songs are often abruptly bookended with lo-fi samples, spoken-word digressions, instrumental interludes, and all other manner of barnyard ambience.
Case in point: “Gooseberry Wine” would reasonably go unnoticed if slipped somewhere amongst the track list of a first time-listener’s LimeWire rip of Rain Dogs. Spank’s inflection is at roughly 12-grit (best for industrial applications), shouting and howling over a perfectly sophisticated jazz-combo arrangement. Simultaneously, a song like “I’m Not Handsome I’m Hammered” is a (mostly) played-straight country cut, complete with a swooning pedal-steel section that could sing a baby to sleep. In less than a half hour we are pulled along on a hairpin race around the Americana track, all at a pace which compels one to cheer from stands: “Go Spank! Go!”
Country music has clearly seen something of a soft renaissance within Western indie and pop music over the last few years, evidenced by the careers of artists like Orville Peck or the success of something like “Old Town Road”. When it comes to such cultural trends, its typical to incur a bulk of ‘fad interpreters’ - artists who, while possibly succeeding at imitating the affectations or stylistic cues of a given musical lineage, lack that special authenticity that shines through when one is playing in tune with their roots. Discount Cowboy, and everything Spanky seems to do, represents the opposite here. It’s the kind of material that can’t be faked, simultaneously in the proficiency of its collective musicianship and the integrity of its songwriting. Truly Merritt’s finest outfit.
- Nikolas Barkman
SUSANS
Susans // Self-Released
What a nutball little record. Giving Bratmobile/Suburban Lawns/B52s vibes at times, and full of frenetic, skronky post punk and new wave ditties that favour janky rhythms and unique instrumentation, this may be one of the most delightfully off kilter underground Canadian records of the year.
With probably 75% more shredding than should be expected from an electric ukulele, bouncy schizoid bass and drums that sound like someone riding a unicycle down a flight of stairs, this record really digs into that gloriously weird mentality (like they literally have a song called “It’s Okay to be Weird”) that makes for exactly what you’d look for in an underground indie punk record that pretty much begs for a DIY cassette release at an all ages squat house.
I’m really stoked that folks are still making fun quirky punk like this. It totally reminds me of all those great local bands you wind up seeing as a kid that just don’t fit into any identifiable idiom but somehow stick in your memory long after all the more conventional bands fade away. London Ontario is lucky to have a band like this, and I can only imagine them being an absolute blast to see live.
While I’m sad to see that this one “slipped through the cracks” on us, it’s also kinda perfect that it did, because totally atypical, uncompromisingly odd bands like this tend to flourish best by avoiding too much notice. The last thing a band like this really needs is validation from a rock writer, they clearly have their very distinct sound pretty much perfectly mapped out, and it’s really just up to the listener to decide where they fit into the scheme.
- Shaun Lee
Tess Roby
Ideas of Space // SSURROUNDSS
Tess Roby’s Ideas of Space is minimalist ambient-pop at its finest. Roby perfectly curates her palette of sound and uses them sparingly, adding arpeggiated twinkles when necessary, not to shock the system but rather to soothe. This isn’t the high-intensity, crescendo-filled world one might imagine from primarily electronic sounds, but perhaps it’s what’s needed; a deeper exploration into the sounds of dream sequences, light leaks, and wide open spaces.
It’s especially exciting to hear such tasteful and dreamy songs delivered with such sparse instrumentation. Where others have explored space through heavy cinematic symphonies or with cosmic eruptions of saw leads and growling basses, Roby makes every choice so deliberately, drawing the listener closer not with exaggerated crescendos but with almost hypnotizing repetition of sweet arpeggios.
While the album is aptly named Ideas of Space, there isn’t that cold industrial air one would anticipate from a synth-based album exploring the cosmos; there is a warmth to this entire piece of work through Roby’s performance and production choices. The doubling vocal effects are reminiscent of 80’s ballads with crooning low lines, stretched out as long as they’ll go. Roby is often heard overlapping her own words as if singing these sections in the round, echoing and reverberating and expanding through time. Yet, there is a slow meandering through these songs; this entire album is meant to be sat down and listened to.
- Lana Winterhalt
