Sometimes a band doesn't need to be Original to make a statement. As much as the big 'O' word gets thrown around, how many current acts – even the avant garde – can claim to salvage even a single shaved shred of O ... O ... [wait for it] ... O-rig-in-al-ity?
Like so many of our contemporary favorites, Canada sure-as-sugar can't claim to be innovative. And they don't need to. Totin' truckloads o' songwriting smarts and multi-instrumental savvy, debut This Cursed House encapsulates the whine of a porch swing, the ring of a dinner bell, and the buzzing of fireflies far, far away. With so many moods to skim off the surface, the question of Originality becomes a moot point fairly quickly.
But let's not go sucking each others' dicks just yet. While Canada have apparently learned to play many-an-instrument, their lips often seem glued to a melodica that – circa Clinic – wears out its welcome long before it stains the soul. The same could be said for the limited tour we're offered of This Cursed House. As nice as the front room is, it'd be nice to get a look at every last corner, from its creaking stairways to its damp basements. TCH locks you right in like Mr. Garrison's It with the sublime "Beige Stationwagon," but 14 tracks of similar fare make 'da Gumshoe a dull boy, especially the acoustic strums that sound identical track-in and track-out. It's a shame, because within their bubble of influence Canada hint at a diversity that would peel paint if applied with the right brand of care.
So let's recap: A few great songs + a few good ones - a few in-betweeners / nice vox + delicate musicianship - annoying melodica = A decent, nurturing album that reveals only one side of what could be a multifaceted group.
1.Printemps
2.Beige Staionwagon
3.Hexenhaus
4.Hey Garland
5.Record Function
6.The King'sAshes
7.Look To The Trees
8.Vorhies
9.Madisonville, KY
10.Asleep In Leaves
11.Esther
12.As Dry As Bone
13.ColdMouse Winter
14.Automne Printemps
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