Beatroute Magazine BC Print Edition - September 2017

MUSIC REVIEWS
Chad VanGaalen
Light Information
Flemish Eye Records
Without a doubt, alienation and disassociation are at
the core of Chad VanGaalen’s bizarre and beautiful
indie rock. Since his early days as a street busker
in Calgary’s core, VanGaalen has been nebulous
and moody, effortlessly shape shifting between
genres and styles. While previous works have always
retained his singularly odd and utterly ramshackle
style, they’ve also flirted with country (Shrink Dust),
blipping electronica (Diaper Island and Soft Airplane),
alternative folk (Infiniheart and Skelliconnection) and
experimental techno (his 2015 collaboration with
Seth Smith, Seed of Dorozon). Albums are further
heightened with the bizarre bleeps and bonks of
homemade instruments, delightful contraptions that
are best enjoyed when witnessed in a live setting
alongside VanGaalen’s disarming animations.
On sixth solo studio album Light Information,
VanGaalen has somewhat reverted to the stylistic
proceedings of his earlier days. The result is a
record that’s startlingly in line with both 2006’s
Skelliconnection and 2008’s follow-up Soft Airplane.
The result is an album that’s startlingly in line with
both 2006’s Skelliconnection and 2008’s follow-up Soft
Airplane. Opener “Mind Hijackers Curse” kicks off the
proceedings, with Chad’s slightly layered, reverberating
vocals making an almost immediate appearance. The
drums are clattering and understated, and the vague
and hard-to-pinpoint background instrumentation
evokes a plinking, plunking sound that wouldn’t be
out of place in a sci-fi movie. Of course, this is right
in line with his previous output: he has long been
fascinated by the subject, most notably materializing
in his 2015 short film ‘Tarboz,’ which tells the story of
an intergalactic space traveller. If you’ve yet to witness
it, think the animation style of Adult Swim’s disturbing
Superjail!, as utilized by Wes Anderson. It’s a wonder
to behold.
“Prep Piano and 770” is the first jarring track of the
record, flirting with the same noise that made his side
project Black Mold damn near unlistenable for anyone
disinterested in the genre. While menacing keys bleep
and bop, cascading keys set the tone for follow-up
track “Host Body.” The lyrics are the strongest of the
release, as Chad forebodingly croons, “I’ll be the host
body yes, for the parasitic demons. They can eat me
from the inside out, I already hear them chewing.”
Herein, the similarity to Soft Airplane’s “Poisonous
Heads” is obvious: the song is stark, and slightly
bouncy, spinning foreboding tales of the future.
Later on, “Old Heads” is upbeat and joyous jangly
pop. In particular, the chorus is infectious and sung
high– “WHO IS THE OPERATOR, KEEPING ALL MY
CELLS TOGETHER?!” – and is sure to incite a future
sing-along at gigs. Later on, “Faces Lit” has a similar
vibe with its a sway inducing style. “Pine And Clover”
evokes the yowl of Neil Young with its layered style
and lazy, folkish guitars.
After nearly two decades of making music,
VanGaalen’s ruminations have grown more
contemplative, yet remain consistently dark. Long
associated with the archetype of a man-child (a
moniker Chad himself has used) for his forays into
implausible fantasy territory, his lyrics skirt between
out-of-this-world and highly relatable. “Broken Bell”
illustrates this.
“I sit and do a drawing,
A portrait of my dad,
I should really visit him,
Before he is dead.
Cause we are getting old,
Our cells just won’t divide like their told.
I’m not really good,
At this kind of thing.
Should I take the advice of the graffiti on the wall
telling me to go suck it?
Or should I listen to the voices ringing in my head, like
a broken bell?”
Family is a recurrent theme, particularly now that
VanGaalen is a proud father. Relevant to that point,
it sounds like there is a distorted, childish croon in
opener “Mind Hijacker’s Curse” (though on the former,
it might just be the Korg 770 monosynth he fixed up
for the release). Childish sounds appear again, but this
time much clearer, in closer “Static Shape.” Evidently,
the backing vocals are provided by his daughter Pip
and Ezzy. In the closing song, the effect of modulated
childish noise is pleasant, particularly in conjunction
with the jaunty keyboards.
Although it’s not out of character, when the last 30
seconds or so of “Static Shape” end in noise territory
that is unpleasantly jarring and squealing, it does
not benefit the album. It’s likely the intention to be
confrontational this way directly after the album’s
sweetest moments, but it seems unnecessary. Fittingly,
Soft Airplane ended in a similar fashion with a full
noise track dubbed “Frozen Energon,” though that
track was far longer with a better sonic arc.
All told, Light Information offers nothing particularly
new in the Chad VanGaalen universe; it remains
a wonderful addition to his catalog that’s likely to
dominate the earshot! charts for months and be
nominated for a Polaris Prize. In short, VanGaalen
is well on his way to being the type of musician we
remember in decades to come, courtesy of his bizarre
bent on Canadiana.
• Sarah Kitteringham
• Illustration by Emile Compion
art by Emile Compion
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