Winter is a great time for albums. When the weather gets cold and the holidays approach, we begin to get melancholy and nostalgic. Certain artists have a way of soundtracking that, and Broken Social Scene is one of those artists. But it is not Winter. It is still summer, as the Oakland heat reminds me. I am sure Something For All of Us will play a key part in Winter listening, but for now I must let it soundtrack my summer. The second artist in the "Broken Social Scene Presents" series, which showcases an individual BSS member backed by his cohorts, Brendan Canning takes full advantage of the spotlight after playing a downplayed role on the band's albums. I wouldn't exactly call Something minimalist, but it does tone down the more-is-more approach of BSS's last album. The lush BSS orchestration and harmonies only enhance Canning's gorgeous melodies. Like Badly Drawn Boy, Canning strings his album together in storylike fashion, unafraid to leap from acoustic singer/songwriter ("Snowballs and Icicles") to just being funky ("Love is New"). "Hit the Wall" is an obsession-worthy single, though the albums two highlights come towards the end - the beautiful instrumental, "All the Best Wooden Toys Come From Germany," and "Been At It So Long," a duet with Elizabeth Powell of Land of Talk.
MP3 - "Hit The Wall" - Brendan Canning
1 comment:
It's never too early to start thinking about winter music. I think the Portishead will play a large part in my winter repertoire this year, and I am about to give Brendan Canning a listen - thanks.
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