New music

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This article was published 24/01/2019 (2605 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

POP / ROCK

Royal Canoe | Waver (Paper Bag Records)

Those familiar with Royal Canoe’s penchant for “everything but the kitchen sink” productions will be struck by the openness of Waver.

On their fourth full-length recording of original material, Winnipeg’s sextet of musical alchemists distill their blend of pop, rock, R&B and hip hop into 10 new tracks over 44 minutes, knitting hypnotic vocals, entrancing keyboard swells and chill beats into ethereal soundscapes that grab listeners by both head and hips.

This is, in every way, a groove record, but it’s also a brain-tease, as the imagistic lyrics here evoke pastoral scenes both pleasant and alarming (What’s Left in the River, Black Sea or RAYZ); riff on distorted nursery rhymes (Ashes, Ashes, which also features a rap verse from Nnamdi Ogbonnaya); or explore all-too-modern themes of detachment and doubt (Girl of My Dreams, Peep This).

It’s tempting to say there’s a pervasive sense of dread to much of this material, but there’s always been a sense of celebration and redemption to Royal Canoe’s work. On Wavers, it’s found simply by moving to the grooves and/or in exultant declarations and observations such as “Gonna get high, simplify,” on Spin Cycle, or “Love is a dream and they can never shake you awake,” from album closer Don’t.

So, yes, ultimately it is still possible to get happily lost in this world.

Waver is officially released Friday, Jan. 25; Royal Canoe will play two album-release shows at the West End Cultural Centre on March 29 and 30.

4 stars | Stream these: RAYZ; Peep This; Don’t.

— John Kendle

 

R & B / SOUL

Various Artists | Stax ‘68: A Memphis Story (Stax/Craft Recordings/Concord Music)

Sometimes the nostalgia train just gets into the station right at the perfect time. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of one particularly important year in the life of American independent soul music label Stax Records, this compilation set cobbles together 22 tracks from various stellar artists on the roster at the time.

The Stax sound — borne from the hub and heart of southern soul music, Memphis, Tenn. — varied wildly from its main counterpart/rival Motown Records. Where the Motown sound relied much more heavily on AM radio-friendly pop music and a more thinly produced sound, the folks down south laid heavily into a country-soul vibe that oozed grooviness.

Derek Martin’s down-to-earth Soul Power (“I just want to testify, that her love is getting to me”), Rufus Thomas’s funky Memphis Train and Linda Lyndell’s sweet What A Man (“What a man, what a mighty, mighty good man”) all rise above obscurity here wonderfully, some even used as samples on early rap music sides. More familiar artists from the Stax roster include gospel music-linked the Staple Singers (Got To Be Some Changes Made, Long Walk To D.C.), future cartoon chef Isaac Hayes (Going To Chicago Blues) and label stalwart Otis Redding (Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay). There are even a couple of brilliantly timeless instrumental throwdowns that include Booker T. and The M.G.’s (Soul-Limbo) and the knockout blues guitar stylings of Albert King (You’re Gonna Need Me).

The emotions and styles conveyed throughout this set are staggering and will lift the spirit of anyone with an ear for classic soul music conveyed by nearly forgotten artists. If you are ready for the total Stax revelation, the full set celebrates all 134 A- and B-sides released by the label on an expansive five-CD set.

Five stars | Stream these: Big Bird, Soul Power

— Jeff Monk

 

JAZZ

Andrew Rathbun Large Ensemble | Atwood Suites (Origin)

Canadian saxophonist/composer/educator Andrew Rathbun’s new two-disc album is impressive. Rathbun is an educator at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich., but also leads both small and large ensembles with his own compositions. This album incorporates several of Margaret Atwood’s poems into wonderful large musical expressions.

The band has great personnel, including Canadian saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff, whose own album was reviewed several weeks ago. Trumpet and flugelhorn player Tim Hagans is especially notable on many tracks. Vocals are by either Luciana Souza or Aubrey Johnson. Several poems are incorporated over three tracks each, while other tracks are fully instrumental.

The writing here is arguably the best that Rathbun has done to date. The arrangements allow full recognition of the poetry, for example, while demonstrating the wonderful potential of modern jazz in a large ensemble setting. There is much depth here. The use of voiceover and style has been noted to have a bit of a Kenny Wheeler touch. (People who gave up on the big-band sound when that era died are missing some extraordinary contemporary jazz.)

The Atwood references are fascinating in themselves, as they are not always simply lines from well-known titles. I only caught up with this album several weeks ago, or it would have been included on my Best Of list for 2018. This is simply top-notch jazz with the obvious Canadian connections.

Four and a half stars | Stream these: Two Islands I, Power Politics I

— Keith Black 

 

CLASSICAL

Paul Lewis | Weber & Schubert: Sonatas (Harmonia Mundi)

English pianist Paul Lewis treats listeners to a pair of sonatas by Carl Maria von Weber and Franz Schubert on this new release, two composers whose lives were both cut tragically short in their 30s and who exemplified Austro-German Romanticism of the early 19th century.

First up is Weber’s Sonata no. 2, op. 39 in A-flat major, a four-movement work from 1816 that also showcases the Liverpool-born artist’s sensitive pianism and technical prowess. After its opening movement Allegro Moderato, which ranges from unabashed lyricism to stormier seas, he begins its unusual, halting Andante while resisting temptation to rush through its pregnant pauses.

The Menuetto capriccioso that follows bolts out of the gate at blistering pace performed with crisp attack, followed by finale Rondo that returns listeners — and pianist — to more genteel and gentrified climes.

The second offering is Schubert’s Sonata D. 575, op. posth. 147, penned in 1817 that displays even more lush Romanticism both in its thematic material and harmonic language. Once again, Lewis’s sensitive approach creates a sense of gentle intimacy during its opening movement, Allegro, including its notable four-key exposition and multitude of twisting modulations.

The Andante, with its chorale-like melody, is brought to life with effective voicing, while the sprightly Scherzo lays the foundation for the Allegro giusto, a more boisterous finale, albeit still resolutely wearing its tastefully refined, Romantic clothes.

Four stars

— Holly Harris