JayWood’s Slingshot doesn’t quite follow through on its conceptual ambitions, but its infectious grooves and hazy summer vibes still make it a worthwhile listen
Pierre Kwenders, born José Louis Modabi, has spent nearly all of the past decade breaking down borders in music. The result is a heady mix of genres and languages, incorporating rumba, electronic, hip hop and R&B.
Toronto-based singer Kyla Charter has had an illustrious career as a background singer in the CanCon music machine. Her CV reads like a CBC Radio One playlist, performing with artists like July Talk, Patrick Watson, Rich Aucoin and Alessia Cara. Now Charter is stepping out on her own with her debut album Edible Flowers.
Self-described as adding “modern flare to a vintage aesthetic,” North Graffiti’s album Modern Relics successfully reflects its musical tagline. Just like the album’s cover, the “punk & roll” local group pulls together the fragments of vintage punk and rock past with present instrumentals.
For the past near-decade, the indie world has been afflicted with the “post-Mac DeMarco malady.” Not that it’s always a bad thing, but for a long time people have been latching onto the watery, chill, bedroom pop style and using the aesthetic to cover up lazy songwriting. It’s refreshing to hear something good in this tired idiom for once. Niall Mutter, through the power of being a smart songwriter, has done just that on his new EP, Pass Me By.