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“My message will always be Love” One of the first sentences in Mauvey’s bio. So far, 2022 has not been overly kind to me and there has been heartbreak behind many of the doors I’ve opened this year. In this uninterrupted sadness, I played The Florist, both because I had been awaiting the album, but also because I had just signed on to review it. My playlist has been somewhat down tempo (read: depressing), with little variety and spunk to it lately. When I played the first track “,9,” I found myself distracted by the electric melodies, sultry vocals and a rhythm that just keeps giving. Before I was fully aware of what was happening, I was swaying, and then dancing, in my living room. This was a small win for me, as I’ve been hard pressed to find slivers of joy in anything lately. Days later, when I read that quote, I realized he had led me to love, albeit in one of its simplest forms — through music. The album’s name is fit ....
Devours is a name I’ve heard around Vancouver for quite some time. It’s only when I saw him live at a block party this past September, that I realized why he s considered such a force. His appearance is immediately captivating, but it s the breadth and depth of his artistic expression that keeps you truly entertained. Live music was just starting to rear its head again, and we all watched amazed as he toiled over his cauldron of media equipment in the middle of Victory Square — featuring perfect segues into each track and especially potent commentary in between. It was a great introduction to this seasoned artist. Escape from Planet Devours presents a comprehensive mix of pop, punk, glam, and Nintendo beep-boops that paint a thick, yet subtle, nostalgia throughout the entire album. The track listing has been meticulously arranged in a way that s meant to keep the listener guessing. The first handful of tracks are dance anthems that had me wishing we were still living ....
This long awaited album has been on my radar for awhile. After seeing this dream pop duo play Khatsahlano Festival in 2018, it’s been a slow release of singles, while we all patiently waited for a full length album to drop. The name change (formerly Booty EP) almost gave me the slip, so it’s a relief this release didn’t accidentally fall to the wayside. The album is definitely a more refined sound than their previous releases, and the musical maturity of Doohickey Cubicle shines through. There’s a give and take between Alli and Francis — you can feel a vocal passing-of-the-baton as each verse goes by, eventually coming together for choruses. The album contains an eclectic assortment of musical support with bass, drums, and even saxophone, giving each song a different feel. Still, the album remains united. You can listen to this body of work and think ‘this really jives together,’ but also realize the start and end take you to completely differe ....
Empress hasn’t been hibernating during the live music hiatus we’ve been forced into. I came across them in November 2020 when they played the Modified Ghost livestreams, hosted at the Rickshaw. As I was missing live music like a raccoon misses an open garbage can, these streams were a welcomed break from the COVID monotony. Their set poured out of my speakers like thick, gloomy molasses and I immediately hit ‘Follow’ on Empress’s Spotify page.Their prior release, Premonition, had attracted decent attention with its hard hitting collection of deep riffs; however, we see “Libations” take a more refined direction. While that refinement sounds inviting, it most likely comes from a place of heavy grief due to the untimely passing of guitarist Brenden Gunn. Gunn left behind a slew of broken hearts and a gleaming metal legacy that should have gone on to span decades. “Libations” is special as it’s the last song Empress recorded with ....
For a relatively young band, Mother Sun has been in overdrive lately — recording as much as possible, playing virtual shows, and generally staying afloat during these strange times. Perhaps it s the extra time COVID allows us, perhaps they re just that inspired. Regardless, we all reap the reward from their hard work.Based in Kamloops, Mother Sun is a group that requires no introduction in their hometown. Members Jared Doherty, Emilio Pagnotta, Alex Ward and Jared Wilman are involved in a wide span of indie projects bursting from the interior B.C. It s no surprise these guys would find each other and produce the funky psychedelia that is Mother Sun.Back in February, they released two singles as follow up to their full length 2020 album, Sips. If there s one thing we can all agree on, it s exciting when an artist consistently releases new content, which these guys have been doing since 2018. They have been busy.The first track of the two-song release is “Five Leaves.” ....