Tara Thorne

Ben FoldsSongs for Silverman(Epic)Ben Folds has travelled under the proverbial radar for 15 years and a half-dozen records; like the best character actors, he’s never been big enough to be a star or a cult artist. Those who adore him do it with slobbering devotion, the rest sing along to “Brick” when it comes on […]

Pony UpMake Love to the Judges with Your Eyes(Dim Mak)The legend of Pony Up goes like this: in spring 2003, the girls attended a show by Australian wunderkind Ben Lee, who was visiting Montreal for the first time and who had been robbed earlier that day. They took him out after the show, took him […]

Bright EyesCassadaga(Saddle Creek)Conor Oberst needs to stop with the audio art installations that open every album. If they were interesting or entertaining, that would be one thing. But they’re indulgent and boring, so stop it, because what he’s doing here is detracting from the lovely lead track “Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed),” which forlornly addresses […]

Jimmy Eat WorldFutures(Interscope)Coming a long three years after 2001’s terrific Bleed American, Futures is more of the same straight-up rock and slightly over-earnest ballads that comprised the last record (re-titled Jimmy Eat World in the US in the touchy days after 9/11). It goes down catchy and easy (save a few political statements), which is […]

Tegan and SaraThe Con(Superclose)Under the hand of Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, the Quin sisters have produced their most mature and affecting effort yet. Where before their atonal singing, questionable playing and teenage success was easier to dismiss as novel—yes, they are twins and lesbians—now, their hook prowess and deceptively simple songwriting are undeniable. […]

The Heavy BlinkersThe Night and I Are Still So Young (Endearing)The long-awaited, long-delayed follow-up to the Blinkers’ brilliant Better Weather (2001!) is 40 minutes of the most romantic melancholia you’ve ever heard. Cohesive but not repetitive, grandiose without preten- sion, The Night and I is music no one’s made for decades. It maintains the ’60s […]

Pony UpMake Love to the Judges with your Eyes(Dim Mak)The Montreal indie-pop quartet makes a stunning turnaround on its full-length debut, a marked change in direction and maturity from its lo-fi self-titled EP. One of the most anticipated shows of the Halifax Pop Explosion fulfilled its destiny despite sexist wankery from jealous dudes in the […]

WintersleepWelcome to the Night SkyLabworkThrow away the misleading stompalong of “Weighty Ghost” and you have nine of the most epic, evocative songs ever produced in this town. Tim D’Eon comes roaring to the front, layering intricate, beautiful guitar lines deep into “Drunk on Aluminum” and “Miasmal Smoke & The Yellow Bellied Freaks,” while Paul Murphy […]