Kacy & Clayton/Souljazz Orchestra
Kacy & Clayton
Carrying On // New West Records
Kacy & Clayton’s fourth LP, Carrying On, is their finest collection of songs to date and one of the best records of this year. It’s worth getting this type of language out of the way right at the beginning of the review, lest it become tiresome further in: yes, this album is very good. Yes, you should go listen to it right now. And yes, it does sit somewhere in the realm of “country music”, with Kacy & Clayton working alongside Baby Jey and Orville Peck in re-envisioning country-Western aesthetics for the indie crowd in the 21st century. They approach the genre more earnestly than most, drawing on the fact that this type of music has enormous cultural significance for folks who, like them, are from the Canadian prairies. That being said, Carrying On is a departure for them, it sounds a step closer to fuller, more 60’s psych influenced material. Every song sounds immaculate thanks to contributions from engineer and mixer Tom Schick and producer Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco). As a result, the album shares a lot of sonic DNA with Tweedy and Schick’s other collaborations, namely Tweedy’s solo material. The recordings have a ton of vintage flavour (check out the slapback echo on the vocals!) while remaining super clear and contemporary.
There’s a quote from Kacy & Clayton saying that they felt that Carrying On contained the most confident performances the band has committed to tape, and that absolutely shows across the whole record. Carrying On is just what you get with songs this good, performed this well, recorded by folks like Schick and Tweedy.
- Sean Newton
The Souljazz Orchestra
Chaos Theories // Do Right!/Strut
Times maybe tough right now but at least we have music to ease the pain. The Souljazz Orchestra’s triumphant blend of jazz, funk and soul music on Chaos Theories offers a commentary on our troubled times while simultaneously providing some of the most infectious and life affirming grooves in the process.
Released on Do Right! (Can) & Strut Records (UK), the Ottawa collective seamlessly infuses elements of ska, reggae, dancehall, 2-tone and afropunk throughout the nine blistering songs that make up the album. Their frustration and anger with the current system is best displayed on the anthem like “Police The Police” where blaring horns and thumping beats serve as a backdrop for lyrics about police brutality and misconduct. By the end of the song, the reoccurring lines, “police the police, we gotta police the police” transforms into a glorious war-like chant backed by the pulsating grooves of the rhythm section. Speaking of rhythm, the track “House Of Cards” might very well be one of the catchiest tunes of the year with its silky disco house bassline and catchy soulful vocals. The “house” in the foreboding lyrics “the house of cards is coming down” could be our failing political system or our Earth which is deteriorating due to rapid climate change. The stylistic element of juxtaposing world-weary lyrics with high energy instrumentation is one of the highlights of the album and makes for an exhilarating listen.
The music of Souljazz Orchestra fits wonderfully within the musical world of groups such as The Comet is Coming, Sons of Kemet, El Michels Affair and artists from the Daptone Records. They are currently on a massive Canadian and European tour and the only downside is that they are not playing anywhere close to Edmonton.
- Piyush Patel
