Spotlighting new releases from New Brunswick artists. This week we look at new releases from electronic composer Robert T, alt-country greats Sleepy Driver and the debut from Different Look!
Matt Carter
Different Look! – Call Me Back EP
Different Look’s Jeff McLennan and Alex Keleher describe this three track EP perfectly by saying, “We are proof that anyone can make music.” As much as that line sums up this collection of simple rhythms and confusing off-centre counterpoint melodies, beautifully crafted with little to no regard for any convention whatsoever, it’s also a testament to music’s accessibility as an outlet to play, experiment and simply have fun recording sound. Not every recording needs to be about marketing, outreach and career building. Sometimes it’s just nice to make some noise. Call Me Back is a great example.
Robert T – Format A:
Riverview composer/programmer Robert T has just posted his 20th release to his Bandcamp page. His 20th. That includes various full-length albums, album-length EPs and more than a few singles. But unlike some prolific Bandcamp artists who seem happy enough to share any idea or song that comes into their heads regardless of how developed they may be, Robert T’s releases have always embodied a thoroughness and an attention to detail – complete thoughts that require no further development. You’ve got to admire that. Prolific and thorough – that’s something almost unheard of these days, especially when it comes to electronic music.
Format A: is minimalist ambient music in motion. Each track’s simple ideas progress and evolve thoroughly, sometimes moving to a obvious peak and other times reaching more subtle locations. A master of his craft.
Sleepy Driver – Road Journal
Sleepy Driver are one of the few Fredericton bands to reach that point in their career where a ‘best of’ album makes sense. They’ve got a lot of material. Through four studio albums, an EP and a collection of ambient remixes, Sleepy Driver have playfully swayed back and forth across the alt-country line for a decade accompanied all the while by a dedicated and loyal fanbase. They deserve this.
Road Journal is a cross section spanning all the group’s releases. Picked and plotted by the band, it contains some of the group’s catchiest material and many lesser known tracks. A solid release, front to back.
Send us your Music!
If you are a New Brunswick artist or group, have new music on the way and would like to be considered for a future edition of Midweek Music Mix, send us the details at gridcitymagazine(at)gmail.com