 |  Overall Rating: 7.8 Lyrics: 8.2 Melodies: 7.9 Arrangements: 8.3 Thematicity: 7.9 Originality: 7.7 Production: 7.1 |
Although Ann Arbor folk-rock outfit Canada may not actually hail from Canada, they certainly deserve to be awarded honorary citizenship on the strength of their melodies, their intricate and unusual arrangements (what other act can you think of that features multiple cellists?), and their phenomenal, energetic live preformances. Their music is somewhat reminiscent of the Decembrists' in its tone and instrumentation, but whereas Meloy's lyrics are rooted in erudition and delivered in high literary style, theirs rely more on iconic imagery (houses, trees, cars, fires, mice), anafora, repetition, and simple yet evocative diction. The result is rustic balladry that come across as both heartfelt and intimately tied to basic human needs and necessities, to land and work, and to the passage of time. Canada are both aware of this and comfortable with it, for they have based their full-length debut, This Cursed House, around seasonality and seasonal imagery and driven the point home by entitling the album's two bookend tracks "Printemps" and "Antomne" and giving the listener some visual reinforcement in its autumnal cover art. It's no afterthought either: Stephen Radjewski's lyrics seem both consistent and natural on this record, and while there doesn't appear to be any distinct progression from spring to autumn over its course, that's not necessarily the point: the point is evoking a sense of time and place, and the record does this well. The record certainly isn't perfect, and Canada's songs are hampered more than a little bit by production problems, but on the whole This Cursed House is a fine specimen of what Canada is capable of doing, though I can't imagine it won't soon be surpassed.
When I speak of production problems, what I mean is the following: anyone who has ever seen Canada perform in the flesh can tell you that the band's intensity, emotional investment, and spontenaity are three of its most key assets, but This Cursed House was recorded and produced in a way that emphasizes the pure folk side of the band over the folk-rock side and makes their pieces seem sparse, treble-heavy, and methodical. It can't generally be said that the pieces have lost their emotive power, but it's the slower songs, such as "The King's Ashes" that benefit from the treatment, while some of the band's most moving songs in a live context, such as "Look to the Trees" and the catchy, anthemic "Cold Mouse Winter" lose a great deal in translation. Throughout the album, drums are undermiked, bass is undercut, and the band's vocal harmonies and background shouts lack the power the require to achieve their full effect. In general, the tracklist is solid (though there are a few bits, such as "Vorhies" -- essentially a reprise of "Look to the Trees" -- which probably should have been cut, either because some difference in production quality makes them sound misplaced or else because they simply don't serve a purpose) and peppered with stand-outs like "Asleep in Leaves," "Hexenhaus," and "Look to the Trees." Despite the production issues, "Cold Mouse Winter" is still the album's crowning glory, though its poignancy is slightly diminished by the fact that it is followed by the inessential "Automne," where it really ought to have ended the album. The arrangements, including glockenspiel, piano, and melodica, are also quite nice, and again would have been spectacular had they been integrated better into the mix. Still, for all the criticism I've levelled against the production, it's not abysmal, and the impressive qualities in Canda's music still show through. It's a shame we'll have to wait to see Canada's full potential realized on a recording (in many ways, I feel that the versions on This Cursed House will function primarily to tide fans over between the band's performances), but what they offer on their debut is still pretty impressive.
-BT
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