Jane Inc, Bernice, and Kyle Edward Connolly
Jane Inc.
Number One // Telephone Explosion
We are now firmly in the 2020s, but it seems as though we would rather be living in any of the other last 6 decades right now. While taking cues from the past for creating a musical aesthetic is nothing new, the trend seems to take a whole new character with retro-style releases from what is now roughly a year’s time - the decades these artists sonically pulled from weren’t without problems and anxieties, but at least we could roam and travel freely without spreading a mysterious and highly contagious killer disease through the air.
This escapist angle comes to a head with Jane Inc., the pseudonym adopted by Carlyn Bezic of Ice Cream, Darlene Shrugg and the backing band of US Girls. The Toronto musician introduces herself as a solo artist with her debut album Number One, a collection of synthwave tracks that primarily take inspiration from 80s synth-pop and new wave, which includes Bezic’s breezy singing style and suggests the feel of such artists of the era as Berlin or even early Gary Numan. Jane Inc. also eagerly pulls from genres of the preceding decades, however: we’re given a taste of this right off the bat with the opening track “Gem”, which pays homage to 70s Italo-disco with its close harmonies, warbly synth sounds, electric tom drums and melodic bassline. It becomes equally clear with the hints of 60s psychedelic rock that make up “Bloom Becomes Me”, which features flute and animal sounds, a slow tempo to add to the dreamy feel that already permeates through the whole album, a saxophone sputtering as it gets panned left and right, and lyrics that seem to be about literally becoming one with nature.
Though the nostalgia factor of making every sound anachronistic by at least 30 years already suggests escapist desires, what really drives this home is the lyrical content of many of the songs. For example, in the aggressive “Steel” Bezic sings about feeling overworked; the interlude “Faceless, Bodiless” features narration on the perceived benefits that would come with the featurelessness described in the title; the closing track “Obliterated” describes information overload. It wouldn’t be impossible to also attribute desires to get away from everyday life in the themes of the aforementioned “Bloom Becomes Me”. At a time where all of us are in a constant state of mental fatigue despite how little we can go about doing (or more accurately because of how little we can go about doing), an album describing more long-lasting sources of exhaustion still seems symbolic of how we feel about the situation we now find ourselves in.
Whether taken simply as an album that wanted to put themes of life’s struggles onto the dancefloor sounds of yesteryear or a drop in a sea of recent releases that (intentionally or unintentionally) suggest wishing we were living in any recent era but this one, Number One proves that the sounds of the past will always be carried into the future.
- Ty Vanden Dool
Bernice
Eau de Bonjourno // Telephone Explosion
Following up their highly acclaimed, Polaris Music Prize-nominated 2018 LP Puff: In the air without a shape, Bernice joins acclaimed producer Shahzad Ismaily in a truly fresh and exciting effort for their third full length offering, Eau de Bonjourno.
Inspired by Ursula K. De Guinn’s sci-fi novel The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, front-person Robin Dann imagines Eau de Bonjourno as a work unique to each listener, meant to meet you where you are and mean whatever it means to you. Experimental at its core, yet familiar and approachable, Bernice brandishes their expertise as they take an improvisational approach to an otherwise analytical piece. Using familiar beats and pop structure to lull you into a sense of comfort, they dissect and reimagine each aspect of their arrangements, shifting your expectations with each turn of phrase. Grooves sit just outside where you’d expect to find them, leaving you wondering what to expect around each corner, inviting you in but never letting you settle in and get comfortable. Not wanting to get bogged down by over-analyzing each arrangement, Bernice and Ismaily allowed their intuition to take over. Drawing from their shared understanding of jazz and the unique musical stylings of each member, they followed whatever improvisational notion felt right, allowing inspiration from their cohesion as a group and their surroundings to dictate the direction of the album.
Opening with “Groove Elation”, Bernice gives you a taste of what is to come for the rest of the album. Like a much larger arrangement with each aspect expertly removed, chopped up and delicately reinserted back into the song, “Groove Elation” is a piece-meal collection of broken clusters of sound. Light, airy vocals hold everything together like a delicate bow on a present wrapped in shreds of sheet music. Wanting to “openly [play] with the shape of a pop song”, Bernice carries a lively spirit throughout the album, never feeling stale as they effortlessly dance between tracks. Not only do they appear to never break a sweat, they also never break the flow. Vocals are inextricably woven into each song, moving from grooves, to solos, to delicate, subdued melodies with ease, making nary a misstep as you float alongside them.
Not one to miss an opportunity to insert pop hooks into an otherwise experimental album, tension is expertly ratcheted up for over three minutes in “Personal Bubble” as Dann explores identity, intimacy, and perspective, gently crooning, “To get a handle on an indiscriminate situation, just keep one eye out for other animals of creation, and you will be free, dancing. You’ll see.” Soon after, Dann’s prophecy is realized as we are invited into their personal bubble, finally finding release in the form of 45 seconds of chaotic dance bliss.
Whether it be following a groove wherever it led, or building a story about love and intimacy around a seemingly innocuous anecdote about tomatoes, Dann wanted the group dynamics of the band to drive their craft. “If I take myself seriously, nothing good will come of it. I have to come from somewhere that feels like pure imagination, turning off the self-critic, and finding flow… When we make music together, we look for things that make us laugh and groove and that feels great.” Trust Bernice’s intuition to guide you through their musical mosaic and you will be rewarded with a playful and endlessly imaginative experience.
- Clay Geddert
Kyle Edward Connolly
On Arrival // Hand Drawn Dracula
The Toronto music community has always been a complex and multi-faceted scene in which to break through. It seems Kyle Edward Connolly understands the importance of standing out as a creator in such an iconic city, recently presenting to us his debut solo album On Arrival. The project was released in February of 2021 on Hand Drawn Dracula.
No stranger to the music scene, Connolly presents a beautifully crafted set of captivating songs featuring musicians from Toronto’s Darlene Shrugg, Milk Lines, The Highest Order, and Montreal’s TOPS. Produced with the help of Josh Korody (Dilly Dally, Tallies, Partner) in between a year long tour performing alongside cosmic cowboy Orville Peck, On Arrival delivers us into an indie-psych country daydream.
At first listen, On Arrival is similar to the likes of artists such as Daniel Romano, Cut Worms and Gram Parsons, with touches here and there that are stylistically reminiscent of Andrew Bird and Karen Dalton. However, there is something to be said about the uniquely robust energy and ardour bursting through each one of these tracks. Each song is specifically charming in its own way, bringing us into a new atmosphere every few minutes. Tracks like “Get Me Tomorrow” start at a sprint and flow into a sweetly twangy and nonchalant verse, whereas the following “Quick Thought” begins with an intense and lively guitar riff which subtly carries unto a wah-soaked bridge. It feels like being transported into a 70’s-esque colour story. On the other end of the spectrum, my personal favourite track “New City” is dominated by swelling piano, a bountiful baseline, and exquisite vocals. In addition to the superlative songwriting by Connolly, it has to be said that the production of On Arrival is absolutely gorgeous. Each track is bright and teeming with subtle nuances that highlight both the ingenuity and skill of a brilliant young artist. For a project that was recorded in multiple locations with no guarantee of when the next studio opportunity would be, there is a cohesion and continuity that isn’t as easily or often executed on a debut release. And I think there is a lot to be said there about the future of Kyle Edward Connolly’s solo career.
Yet another amazing Canadian release to be excited about this year, On Arrival is going to be an easy album to play all summer while we wait for what might come next.
- LG