Doug Taylor

California electronic mixmaster Daedelus calms down considerably for this collaboration with better half Laura Darlington. The duo aims for the sublime at the risk of evaporating completely. Darlington’s singing verges on flatness but lands in gentle Brazilian stoner territory when backed by bassoon, flute and multi-tracking. Freak show potential is high, and achieves critical mass […]

Following up previous collaborations, Toronto-based Janine Stoll joins forces with two members of Afrobeat band Mr. Something Something in The DoneFors. The songs on How to Have Sex With Canadians are dreamlike concoctions that move along crisply with just a hint of the exotic. “Mouth Full of Marbles” wraps a metaphor-drenched narrative with contraband and […]

On their first album of new material in four years, this Swedish band continues to reinforce the relevance of classic rock. If The Who had been as metaphysically inclined as The Moody Blues, this might have resulted. First impressions of Communion may be dominated by the eerily smiling consumers on the liner. Once you’ve heard […]

Toronto-based Fletcher has a smaller combo behind him than when he was Jon-Rae & The River. The spiritual foundation still resonates, with an angel and a demon whispering in each ear in the face of dark impulses. The BC preacher’s son has a reputation for rocking like an evangelist while straddling this divide. “The Story” […]

On the Glaswegian quartet’s first album in three years, there is no lapse in hooks and flourishes. A few tunes on Tonight: have a little too much going on. Then there’s “No You Girls,” with irresistibly propulsive bass and a beat that got the “disco sucks” memo but ignored it. The unconscious is a generous […]

Winter is the season for this performer; this album. Gossip in the Grain goes with warming by a fire or looking through a frosty window for signs of life in the white vista. It’s not surprising that LaMontagne does much of his writing and recording deep in the Maine woods. His signature is the rasp—less […]

Chaos has more impact if encountered in the midst of order. L’Orkestre des Pas Perdus, the veteran Montreal nine-piece, serves up a smooth opener to establish sanity, then takes turns calling it into question. Every wind instrument you know is usually blowing. A designated few keep time while the rest go off, sometimes in the […]

The DearsMissiles(MapleMusic)The siren of urgency, or slightly elevated tunings, continues to be a signature for Montreal bands. Dears leader Murray Lightburn dominates a touch more than before, going long in quest of the defining epic. The transition from verses to layers and solos in “Lights Off” recalls the audacity of 1970s prog rock—and that could […]

Norma MacDonaldThe Forest for the Trees(indie) Here’s an ache you can’t shake, with more country pain in Norma MacDonald’s voice than you may wish to explore. The tightest landing of her many metaphors is “Unseasonably Warm” with its flock of geese confused by a mild spell, like a heart receiving mixed signals. Charles Austin’s banjo […]

Little Feat & FriendsJoin the Band (429)Those who adore Little Feat as one of the greatest American rock bands ever, believe it ended in 1979 when Lowell George died of a heart attack at the age of 34. Join the Band comes off like a hootenanny/seance to summon his spirit. It features respected soloist daughter […]

James Hunter The Hard Way(Hear/Go) The former guitarist for Van Morrison has selected a remarkably specific genre to grant new life. The coiled sensuality of Sam Cooke, The Impressions, Clyde McPhatter and Jimmy Smith tends to be overlooked as a key component of soul, overshadowed by sweat, grit and dance moves. As on 2006’s People […]

CamilleMusic Hole (EMI) Known mainly as the singer for Nouvelle Vague, Camille has become a star in France through her elastic voice and kinetic presence. Music Holeuses minimal instrumentation, relying on body percussion by Brazil’s Barbatuques, animal impressions and a larynx on the loose. “The Monk” begins as a showcase of range before “do-la-la-lis” and […]