reviewed by Michael Thomas
A bunch of cool artists have been making small releases recently, so I thought it fit to review a whole bunch. We start with:
FAKE FRIENDS Pt 1- Jenocide
Full disclosure: I always look forward to a new Jenocide (aka Jen Clarke) release, probably more than a lot of other things. Her brand of electro-pop is really unlike anything else, so I was quite happy to hear about the release of a series of singles. FAKE FRIENDS Pt 1 is the first part of this series, her first release since November of 2010(!!!).
The opener is “Falling Hearts.” I re-listened to her full-length and EP a few nights ago and have noticed that her music has gotten a little more aggressive. This song continues that trend, with heavy beats and moaning vocals that may make this song her most dance-able ever.
The b-side so to speak is “Shoulder,” a suitable contrast to the frenzy of the previous song. The beats are softer than the previous song, with this track focusing more on Clarke’s vocals. Following this song is aseven-minute-long remixof “Falling Hearts.”
Oh, I should also mention that this is a free download!
Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) +*swoop*
Odobenus Rosmarus- Walrus
The “hop-on-pop” Halifax brothers are back. That line was meant as a joke, because it’s been roughly a month since they made a release, and two months since their first release. The Walrus machine (that sounds funny to me) continues to churn out music, this time in the form of two more songs.
The humorously titled Odobenus Rosmarus (Google it and you’ll see why) starts off with “Van Dyke Brown,” a song which takes the Walrus sound to new places. It starts off in a quiet way, with bells and reverbed vocals (as I noticed in their previous two EP’s) but midway through it starts to get louder. There are more pronounced drums and perhaps guitars.
“Weekdays” actually starts rather ominously. There are some synth-sounding noises and atmospheric noise before it launches into its main melody. It’s also filled with all of the little bells and whistles I’ve now come to expect from these guys.
The best thing about Walrus is that I really dig their sound, but I have no idea what it is about it. All I know is that they’re not declining in quality in any way, and this may be their best release yet. Keep it up! The EP is a name-your-price download.
Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good)
“Tulips”- New Hands
This Hamilton band seems to be trying to build its buzz very slowly. In October of last year New Hands released their first single “This I’ve Heard.” It was enough to win over another writer, and this new single is a treat as well.
“Tulips” can be described as a vibrant sonic landscape, just as vibrant as one might imagine looking into a field of tulips might look like. There are swirling synths; there are tension-filled cymbal rolls; there are some great guitars.
The song’s thematic content is good too; the song seems to speak of a breakup, but at first it seems like the narrator is upset about being dumped, but then it looks like he’s doing the dumping. The imagery is all very nice.
Download it for free from Bandcamp.
Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good)
New Scotland Records 7″ Vinyl Series
The record label founded by Joel Plaskett has been working away on its single series since 2009, and it just recently drew the series to a close with two tracks by Mo Kenney, one by Joel Plaskett himself and another with Jeremy Fisher. The series has also included several tracks by Myles Deck and the Fuzz and that awesome double release of Joel Plaskett singing about Shotgun Jimmie and vice versa.
First, the tracks by Mo Kenney. “The Great Escape” is a surprising track, starting with simple guitar picking and some great vocals from Kenney. Partway through, though, the song suddenly gets louder and more complex, making for a very interesting listen. I loved the line “You’re afraid of the dark because you’re afraid to die.” The track is paired with “Eden,” a simple and sweet song with just Kenney picking her acoustic guitar. It’s gentle, just as I imagine living in the famous garden would feel like.
Following this is “When You Come Around,” sung Joel Plaskett. The track is immediately powerful, with a loud but controlled attack of guitar and drums. Plaskett is by now a bedrock of the Canadian music scene, so I probably don’t need to tell you how good and catchy the track is. But it is both of those things, I might add.
Jeremy Fisher’s “Paper Crown” has a great folk-roots flavour to it. Fisher’s vocals alone introduce the track before it’s joined by some guitar and really kickass harmonica. The song seems very tongue-in-cheek as he talks about “Beauty queen, without a doubt/I ring ‘em in, and it wrings me out.”
All tracks are available from the MapleMusic store.
Rating: Hunting Call (Excellent) +*swoop*
