F&M

Lessons From Losers // Independent 

Listening to Lessons From Losers, the new LP from Edmonton baroque-pop group F&M, you can easily find yourself thinking a lot about the months to come, when these songs will be the perfect accompaniment for the short days and cold nights of the prairie winter. Standout tracks “Funeral Director” and “Colmar” best showcase all there is to love about this record; lush orchestration that feels somehow cold and completely enveloping, anchored by delightfully obtuse lyrics and a unique vocal presence. Ryan and Rebecca Anderson take turns as the lead singer, with each performer creating very different, but complimentary, moods on their respective tracks. Rebecca’s voice feel very expressive, haunting and melodically ambitious, while Ryan’s lower register serves as a warm blanket on the sections where he sings lead. The string arrangements throughout these tunes deserve a mention as well, particularly on the title track; they’re quite pretty, and they play well off the keyboard and guitar parts that are at the centre of most of the record. Lessons From Losers is a beautiful and melancholic album that is a step forward for one of Edmonton’s most consistently interesting acts.

- Sean Newton