Sean Flinn

Tom Wilson/Bob LanoisThe Shack Recordings Volume 1(Shack)From the opening shimmer of acoustic guitar and deep, moody cello on “That’s How I Walk,” you are absolutely transfixed and moved by this album. Spare and simple, it’s songs in their most basic and beautiful form: stories set to music. “Fennell Square” is a great example for its […]

Kevin Hearn and Thin BuckleThe Miracle Mile (Warner)While the Barenaked Ladies continue on as a Canadian pop entity, the best music these days arguably comes from the members’ activity outside the band. The Brothers Creegan, Steven Page’s Vanity Project and BNL’s keyboardist Kevin Hearn all prove the point. With Thin Buckle—with whom he’s now made […]

Crowded HouseTime on Earth(ATO/Maple)Neil Finn is one of the most underrated artists in modern pop. So often the talk about him—the appreciation of him—relates to the surface sound: rich and sunny melodies, hummable tunes, playful and heartfelt songs. There is all that, but oh, there’s so much more dwelling beneath on this album by a […]

The Violet ArchersEnd of Part One (Northern Electric)Tim Vesely remains the unsung hero of Rheostatics. He writes the strongest pop songs in the band’s oeuvre. Vesely side project The Violet Archers allows him to set loose the pop master within, offering memorable melodies in “Co-ordinates,” “Time to Kill” and more, a lovely little acoustic ballad […]

John LegendOnce Again(Good Music/Sony Urban)Even if it didn’t have Kanye West listed as executive producer, Once Again would be a substantial record. The showcase here remains John Legend’s vocals, which often sound like labelmate Jarvis Church or Gerald Eaton of the Philsopher Kings. Throughout Once Again Legend reanimates the R&B tradition laid down in the […]

Shotgun JimmieThe OnlysDelorean RecordingsAt Marshwind Farms near Sackville, New Brunswick, is this guy, Shotgun Jimmie. He made this fine recording, The Onlys, which he’ll play for you November 17 at The Seahorse. Sometimes he sings from loneliness, not in a sad way necessarily—more like when you’re alone with your thoughts. You notice, as he does […]

The CardigansSuper Extra Gravity(Stockholm)This album continues the sultry, melodic and melancholic mood The Cardigans first explored on Gran Turismo. No band strikes the musical and lyrical balance between broken down and brilliant like this quartet. “Little Black Cloud” epitomizes how they walk the line between beauty and despair. Many of these songs—including “Godspell,” “Drip Drop […]

Original RecipeNoisette(Vinyl Republik)Food is sensual. So is music, particularly this album. Not in that “let’s get it on” way, but in the manner of involving more than just hearing. Sensory, then, might be the word for electronic duo Original Recipe’s Noisette. Dividing their sonic confections into four parts—antipasti, primi, secondi and contorni—the cross-border partnership of […]

K’NaanThe Dusty Foot Philosopher (SonyBMG)K’Naan, the Dusty Foot Philosopher, spits rhymes with that same pinched, sleeplessly agitated register as late ’90s-era Eminem (think back to “My Name Is…”). This vocal register works for K’Naan’s tales of life on the war-torn Mogadishu streets and finding his way in his adopted homeland of Toronto. Working with producers […]

The Marble IndexWatch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives(Maple)Trios are underrated in rock. Still, working under the radar, trios can work stealthily and suddenly explode into consciousness. Oh, just thinking of a little band called Green Day and American Idiot…. That’s what should happen to The Marble Index. Brad Germain on vocals/guitar, drummer Adam Knickle and […]

The HylozoistsLa Nouvelle Gauche(Boompa)Though The Hylozoists has changed its lineup (Halifax bassist Lukas Pearse no longer works with the band) and it’s toured frequently (including an Atlantic Jazz Festival gig this year) in support of its second album Fin du Monde, this is the better record. The band’s third release, La Nouvelle Gauche is tougher, […]

Royal WoodTall Tales (Sherpa)They’re in a class of their own, these one-man shows. Toronto-based Royal Wood is the latest in a line of guys, like Danny Michel, who do it all themselves. He’s got a voice a little higher on the register than Bryan Ferry and has a similar classed-up cabaret feel of debut-era Hawksley […]