k. burwash/Bike Thiefs
k. burwash
lotl qs // Saw-whet Records
Edmonton's k. burwash is back with his sophomore follow up to 2017's Moonlanding. For me, lotl qs serves up a patient, yet powerful journey through emotion and change.
Music is a medium of emotion. It's the most efficient human created physical/mechanical/physiological interface that helps me accept and understand emotion.
k. burwash uses deftly changing and swelling tonality to bring the listener on a journey of sorts. You can simply listen, or, with time, you can understand and accept.
I found "waves of coloured light" to house the most dissonance, leading me to an exploration of change conflict and resolution. To me, "hollow places" are those hopefully short, dark, lonely, remorseful times. "Buena Vista" was a short respite. Perhaps a mini vacation from thought, stress, or real life.
The tracks travel through time. It is imperative that the album is heard start to finish. The cohesiveness comes from the consistency of his forms of expression and phrasing.
Is change growth? Of course. With change, "haut spring" and the comforting "brian on the beach" evoke thoughts of days that shimmer with hope.
While, these thoughts might only apply to my exploration of the album, therein lies the beauty. Music can be the most introspective, personal, subjective journey you can take.
I truly think lotl qs is an exploration of change and the persuit of optimism.
Dive in and have your take.
- Drew Cox
Bike Thiefs
Leaking // Stomp Records
For over half a decade, post-punks, Bike Thiefs have been carving their name in the Toronto DIY scene with EP after EP. Leaking, the debut full length from the three piece finds the band refining their sound, leaning deeper into hooks forming an overall more poppy yet rounded sound.
On past records, Bike Thiefs would definitely fall more into the punk end of the post-punk spectrum. Their songs often focused more on drive and energy that pushed forward, than the angular and brooding approach of a lot of contemporary post-punk. The chatty barking vocals of Marko Woloshyn is what defined the band's sound within the post-punk realm. While that vocal style is still very present and vital to Bike Thiefs sound, Leaking comes across as a conscious effort to expand beyond the features previously signature to their sound. And they are effective in doing so. The songs on Leaking contain more complex structures and the album is certainly more dynamic than past releases.
Most notably new to Bike Thiefs sound is their foray into a more relaxed approach. On several moments throughout the album the band takes their foot off the pedal to showcase a more emotional side previously only hinted at. This shift culminates in the contemplative “Flyover State.” The track reflects on family and youthood discussing the complicated intricacies of a difficult home life. While Bike Thiefs reach sentimental highs with “Flyover State” and “Hallelujah, Again,” their exploration in slowing their sound down isn’t reliant on emotional fervor. “Ideas Guy” settles into a laid back bass line that begs a complementary bong rip and nap, while the mellow pace of “Limbo in the Kitchen” adds a considerable emphasis to the chorus’s hooky chants.
While Leaking finds Bike Thiefs at their most emotional, laid back and poppy, the album thrives in its most noisey and cynical moments. Opening track “Hockey Dad” is a tongue and cheek ode to an over exaggerated dad. The song rests along a wirey post-punk riff as Woloshyn chants the hockey dad mantra in his monotone way. The noisey wall of sound of “Financial Cancer” rides a tension that feels like it's eternally pushing forward till the track finally breaks, leaving room for a catchy gang vocal to lead the listener out. The album hits its peak with the halloweeny freakout of “Comment Section.” The track is a dissonant, aggressive and noisy assault, marking the heaviest moment on the album.
Leaking displays Bike Thiefs at their fullest and most dynamic. The album takes them in new directions and displays the full songwriting capabilities of the band when working in the LP format.
- Kennedy Pawluk
