Mariel Buckley, Jesse Northey, and Marci
Mariel Buckley
Everywhere I Used to Be // Birthday Cake Records
The first time I ever saw Mariel Buckley perform was on top of an old blues bar in Calgary…..and I was the only one there.
Well, me and my buddy Steve anyway.
We were sitting on a rooftop patio at the recently re-built and re-opened King Eddy. Being a huge music buff, I had just toured the also brand new National Music Centre, which is attached to the Eddy.
As I recall it was during the Calgary Stampede week and for, whatever reason, the place was empty. But there was still live music to be played!
As my friend and I sat there enjoying a beer in the shade of the NMC, out come Mariel Buckley and band. They played a few tunes, fully aware of the audience of two. They still played great though and Steve and I were enjoying it immensely. Buckley played a score of originals and some covers, including two Hayes Carll songs (I was really into him at the time….still am) so that really made me warm up to her right away….plus, she dedicated one of them to Steve and I after asking us our names from the stage….. “She left me for Jesus” I believe it was.
A couple weeks/months later, I saw her open for Hayes himself at an old church during some music festival. She played solo and acoustic…the echoing of the old walls perfect for her sad, melodic swoon. At that show I really became aware of her songwriting skills. Her turns of phrase were sharp but astute, she had a poetry and beauty to how they came out in the songs she crafted.
Her 2018 first record, Driving in the Dark, is a musical statement and was widely and highly regarded. “Rose Coloured Frames” is still a favourite of mine.
So, I’ve been a fan of her ever since. I play Mariel’s music quite often on my community radio show and am always hip to the new tunes she’s releasing. So when the opportunity to review her brand new record, Everywhere I Used to Be, arose I was pretty stoked to dive in.
“Neon Blue” opens the record and starts with a cool guitar line and some synth….a surprise, for me at least. But the surprise quickly turns to delight as Buckley’s familiar voice starts in….talking about getting drunk. Ha ha….there she is….
The drunk talk isn’t vulgar though or even ugly…. it’s just part of the story she’s crafting, with a bit of sadness, about a love that’s gone.
As you settle into the new synth sounds (and they do sound great) you are aware of an artist that isn’t afraid to think a little outside the box…..or chug a Pilsner and say fuck the box all together.
That’s part of her draw though, at least for me:). She’s not afraid to speak her mind or get deeply personal in her lyrics. Often offering intimate glimpses into her creative mind.
On the third track, “Going Nowhere”, she offers up some of these reflections with a stripped down acoustic guitar….until the band comes in with a beautiful organ leading the way. They fall into the groove and craft a flowing rootsy country song with a traditional feeling. A beautiful song.
The forth track is the second single, released back in July….”Driving Around”. This song is a bit raunchy if I’m following along correctly. But again, beautiful. It is essentially a tale of a booty call on wheels but much more eloquently told. A great tune to “drive around” too for sure.
The record continues to weave itself between sad songs of reflection and regret, boppy numbers about living that life on the old rock and roll road, songs of addiction. It gets dark and it gets real. Buckley never being one to back down from real life, dirt and all.
About 8 songs in you will find the first single released from the record (June 2022), “Shooting at the Moon”. An upbeat number with a great intro and a toe tapping groove. This is what I like about indie country music and what it’s missing in the mainstream “version” of the genre. The grit. Buckley has it in spades and shows it well on this tune why she is one of our best folk/Americana/alt country/storytelling artists.
The guitar (all the instrumentation actually) on this record is a perfect twangy fit and this record was recorded with some of the best session musicians in the country (that comes through really well) with production by Marcus Paquin (Arcade Fire, The National, The Weather Station).
“I wrote this album for losers and underdogs”, Mariel states about the record. A noble effort and one I can appreciate having spent time there myself. She speaks loudly for representation of all and equality. Something more of us need to do in our art.
Perhaps my favourite part of Mariel Buckley’s talent is her wit. I’ve been following her Instagram for years and on more than on occasion she has had me in tears. I highly recommended giving her a follow…..and more importantly, a listen if you haven’t all ready.
This is an artist ready to stake her claim among the Canadian songwriting greats….and she’s only just getting rolling (probably using her very own “grass jackets”).
Everywhere I Used To Be is out August 12 and is one record you should keep on your radar…..where she used to be is a clear indicator of where she is headed and as a folky Americana fan, I couldn’t be more excited.
- Chris Vasseur
Jesse Northey
Onion Knight // Victory Pool Records
As a songwriter, recording engineer, touring musician, manager, and head of a record label, Jesse Northey has staked out a unique space in the Canadian pop canon. Championing stellar acts such as OMBIIGIZI and Ghostkeeper (to name only a fraction) and previously releasing music as Jesse and the Dandelions, the scope of his work proves difficult to summarize.
On his first album released under his own name, Onion Knight, Northey has sown a fresh but familiar garden, harvesting an armful of songs that feel both classic and exciting, old made new. The tracklist is air-tight, consisting of only seven sepia-saturated songs, each dialed into perfect pop formulae with the precision of a watchmaker. But Onion Knight’s brevity belies its lavishly layered density, and each song emerges rife with earth-toned riches of texture and harmony. Like the very best of the 60s and 70s Western pop music tradition, every jigsaw piece bubbles with technicolor effervescence.
The soft psychedelia of “Soul Seeker” immediately imparts the feeling that you’ve just unearthed a true blue classic, one of those unexpected record store gems that catches you off guard. Hook after hook propels the song forward, with each melody flowing effortlessly one after another, each more memorable than the one before. “Picking the Numbers'' punches in with distorted drums, laying down a bedrock for the piano and synthesizer coasting above as Northey sings in a bittersweet reflection of childhood: driving across the border with his mother, buying lottery tickets, sending off the family dog to the farm. The exquisitely rendered melancholy of “Both Eyes Closed” drifts and sighs into the spacious strings of “Do You Like Me Now,” which, as the longest cut on the record, serves as the deep breath between the first and second half of the album. The swirling balladry of “Is This Real Love” questions the stability of a relationship, and “Hold On” consoles with its hushed tones, like a gentle hand of encouragement on a cloudy day. The sublimely understated and outstanding “I Am an Island” rises and crests into a beautiful wave, receding into the distance just as soon as it’s begun.
All in all, the album is over in less than twenty-five minutes, and though on the first listen I felt I was left wanting more, I instead opted to start it over again. In this way, Onion Knight is a fitting title: the reward is in returning back to the songs, like inner concentric rings. Because of the intricacy of the album’s creation, there is always more to find.
Northey has said that, in choosing to release this album under his own name as a solo project, he wanted a fresh start. From the earlier indie-rock infused Jesse and the Dandelions records onward, his sound has always reached deep into the paisley heart of vintage flowerpop. But here, Northey emerges under the banner of his own name, a conceptual statement of intent which brings with it a new chapter— and as the first statement in this new chapter, Onion Knight has without a doubt come to stand as his finest songcraft to date.
- Harman Burns
Marci
Marci // Arbutus Records Inc.
With August almost a wrap and fall around the corner, Marci’s self-titled album comes out at a perfect time to get you up and moving as this debut album will wrap you in warmth and energy for fall or get you fired up for winter.
Canadian pop fans can rejoice that this debut is packed with musical emotions and pure fun. This gem was created by Marta Cikojevic, keyboard player from the band Tops, established in Montreal. In collaboration with fellow Tops bandmate David Carriere, who Marta describes as a "great pop writer" according to her Bandcamp page. This instant pop hit is a unique and diverse array of instrumental mastery, mashed with a synthesized sound that intrigues the ear and reaches the soul.
Marta's sweet but smooth and sultry voice captivates listeners right from the first track "All of Your Love". Infectious dance beats like, "Immaterial Girl" ," Entertainment" and "PassTime" are somewhat reminiscent of an 80's roller disco. Meanwhile, mixing in some infectious contemporary dance grooves like "Play By Play" and "`BB I Would Die". The bottomline is all these songs make you want to get up and dance around your living room, dance floor or wherever you boogie. " Call the Wild" and "When Love Had Just Begun", drape you with a warm soul filled sound that gets you lost in the moment.
Every track on the Marci debut album is a well blended collaboration of unique pop sounds, beautiful melodies and hypnotizing rhythms all pulled together by masterful vocal tracks. A must have for all disco, pop, and contemporary enthusiasts. This album is not only a pleasure to listen to, but whether you are looking for upbeat dance rhythms or soft melodies this album has everything you are looking for to quickly become a household favorite. We can't stop listening to it.
- Doug Armstrong
