BeatRoute Magazine ON Edition - March 2020

NECK OF THE
WOODS
The Annex of Ire
Pelagic Records
PHILIP HARRIS
SHERVIN LAINEZ
The newest dispatch from thorny
Vancouver metal arbour Neck of
the Woods finds its rhythm method
in the midst of madness.
Chromatic technical prowess
gleams on “Ambivalence” while
the miopic soul-seeking of “Vision
Loser’’ levels the landscape like an
atomic blast. Jeff Radomsky’s voice
rises above the fray of “Strange
Consolation” before he finds solace
in the guitar wire spires that pierce
the celestial vault on “The Tower.”
Built on a slicker-than-wet-asphalt
foundation,the entire album
PHANTOGRAM
Ceremony
Republic Records
Phantogram has never been
known to confront things quietly.
The electronic rock duo made up
of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter
present their fourth album, Ceremony,
with a different approach.
Following the loss of her
sister, Barthel looks deep into
the concept of death, grieving,
and moving forward. It can get
overwhelming at times, but there’s
an occasional oasis of calm, like
on the standout track, “Glowing,”
where we get to appreciate
Barthel’s impressive, controlled
hangs together with palpable cohesion
and clarity of purpose. From
the door-kick introduction provided
by the title track, it’s apparent that
Neck of the Woods aren’t giving up
any ground when it comes to the
gritty gains they’ve made.
Best Track: “The Tower”
Christine Leonard
vocals and hear the emotion
behind the lyrics.
Ceremony isn’t perfect, but its
urgency in confronting unspoken
feelings is what makes it interesting
and emotionally investing.
Best Track: “Glowing”
Fraser Hamilton
WAXAHATCHEE
Saint Cloud
Merge Records
Getting sober often involves a moment
of self-reckoning, discovering
what’s left after the hangovers
subside for good.
Waxahatchee devotes Saint
Cloud to exploring that idea, coming
to terms with herself through
her trademark moving and romantic
poetry, set against a musical
backdrop as sparse and delicate
as the wispy rural environs of her
native Alabama. Honest and unflinching,
her fifth full-length turns
inward in an attempt to connect
outward. In doing so, she emerges
with a deeper love for those around
her by learning to love herself first.
“I take it for granted/If I could love
you unconditionally/I could iron out
the edges of the darkest sky,” she
sings on album standout, “Fire.”
With Saint Cloud, it’s clear Waxahatchee
is entering a new age with
her head held high and a newfound
appreciation for the beautiful
details that surround her.
Best Track: “Fire”
CHRISTOPHER GOOD
Sebastian Buzzalino
JESSIE REYEZ
Before Love
Came To Kill Us
Island Records
Jessie Reyez is one of the most
refreshing and unlikely pop stars
working in music right now.
Dropping back the hip-hop and
R&B production of her previous
material for a new orchestral and
cinematic sound, Reyez paints
a series of beautifully tragic pictures
of unattainable or doomed
romances.
Featuring quite a few classic-sounding
doo-wop inspired
tracks, the album is packed with
twistedly morbid metaphors for
love, as if they were designed to
waltz to at a funeral.
DANA GAVANSKI
Yesterday is Gone
Flemish Eye Records
Introspection is the common
thread that cuts through Dana
Gavanski’s lo-fi breakup album,
Yesterday is Gone. Folk and pop
collide to produce hazy musings on
personal growth.
Gavanski reflects delicately on
all the pain and loss that comes
with losing a lover. Her honeyed
vocals tiptoe around whimsical
lyricism about the changing of the
seasons and the slow burn of ti me.
Sorrow transforms into a thriving
heartbreak paradise as ethereal
The album’s title refers to
a friendship that was “killed”
because he jumped in before
Reyez was ready. Adding some
heart-wrenching personal twists,
everything Reyez says here hu rts,
but it sounds so beautiful.
Best Track: “Coffin”
Ben Boddez
melodies infuse the record to highlight
the essentials: stripped-down
vocals, guitar and a pitter patter of
drums and piano.
Best Track: “Yesterday Is Gone”
Natalie Harmsen
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