Calpurnia/ Scout EP
For a newcomer like indie-rock four-piece Calpurnia, having a frontman with a famous face certainly doesn't hurt. The only slight shortcoming, perhaps, would be the prospect of being eternally referred to as "the band with a Stranger Things kid" rather than the actual band's name (the writer of this article, for one, performed a Google search using that exact phrase). The budding Vancouver band features 15-year-old Finn Wolfhard, the young Canadian actor who plays Mike Wheeler in the ongoing Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things.
The band, formed just last year, consists of Wolfhard himself and three of his real-life pals – drummer Malcolm Craig, guitarist Ayla Tesler-Mabe, and bassist Jack Anderson. Signed to Toronto-based indie label Royal Mountain Records, they teased us with their debut single City Boy earlier this year and now they're back a six-track EP Scout, produced by Twin Peaks' Cadien Lake James.
Like the lo-fi jangle of City Boy, opener Louie harks back to the classic rock sound one might associate with the '70s. Over strumming guitars, Wolfhard croons as if he shared the same life experiences as a middle-aged man ("When I'm gone, you'll be older/When I'm gone, there'll be no one to hold her … I feel cold/Oh lord, I feel cold"). Wasting Time sounds like a cross between the Beatles and Beach Boys. Once again, the lyrics rely heavily on rhyming couplets sung with an attitude of a full-time slacker ("My baby's insane/She brings all the rain/She just got home/She threw it all down the drain").
Though set to driving '90s rock production, Greyhound finds the foursome starting to come into their own with the songwriting that feels earnest ("Going to Seattle on the Greyhound/I missed school for this/Bought two tickets last September/Before your harmful bliss"). However, it's the last two offerings Blame and Waves where we get to see their full artistic potential. On the former, the indie-rock sensibility gets mingled with billowy horns supplied by Whitney's Will Miller, whereas the nearly seven-minute latter concludes the set with a bout of misty-eyed nostalgia ("Dreaming of the days/We used to sit and watch the waves go by/ The sun rises and falls again/But things can never be the way they were back then").
All in all, Scout is a solid attempt from the band whose members are barely out of high school. Musically, there's no denying that these kids are talented, and although the EP's first half sounds slightly derivative, it gets better with the last few tracks when they're more relaxed and just being themselves. There's room for improvement as far as the songwriting goes, but hey, that sort of things come with experience and, if anything, Calpurnia definitely have a bright future ahead of them.
THE PLAYLIST
Khan Thaitanium/ Keep My Head 2 Da Sky (Re-Master Version)
As Daboyway puts out a new solo material with newcomer singer Sunaree, Khan Thaitanium looks back on his past catalogue and celebrates the 15th anniversary of Keep My Head 2 Da Sky, a track off the group's 2004 outing RAS (Resisting Against da System). Built around laidback R&B groove, the re-mastered mid-tempo version features pitched-up female vocals and Khan's bilingual verse that details his hustle, touching upon a diverse range of topics from climate change and resistance to self-empowerment and faith.
Rick Astley/ Beautiful Life
The Rickrolling meme may have been well over its shelf life, but Rick Astley's got a new album up his sleeve so all is still alright with the world. Taken from his forthcoming ninth studio record, Beautiful Life is a simple pop jam complete with disco vibes and a life-affirming message ("But we can find a better way/Have to find a better way/We can find a better way to prove it … It's a beautiful life if you give it a chance/It will make you dance"). Exactly the kind of uplift we need before Monday rolls around once again.
Jason Mraz/ Unlonely
At this point, everyone and their mother knows that Jason Mraz is a messiah of good vibes, and it looks like his forthcoming sixth LP, Know, will pack the usual dose of love and positivity. The album's second single, Unlonely, sees the perpetually chirpy singer-songwriter convincing his crush that he's the one ("It could be love/And we could be homies/And once you get to know me/I could be your one and only"), although not without the good old tongue-in-cheeks verse ("I give you my word although/I'm making words up/Unlonely ain't a word, but I don't give a fuck").
Cigarettes After Sex/ Crush
It can be challenging writing about a Cigarettes After Sex track mainly because these guys seem to solely thrive in the low-light, pre- and post-coital music that melts unto itself without so much of a dissimilarity. Their latest release, Crush, is no exception here. Previously recorded at the same time as their 2017 self-titled full-length debut, the track adheres to the band's ambient-pop sensibility which manifests itself through overtly sexual lyrics, glowing guitar and muted basslines. Definitely a must-add to your Babymaking playlist.
Dirty Projectors/ That's A Lifestyle
Dirty Projectors' new album Lamp Lit Prose is looming large on the horizon, but before it finally gets released in two weeks, we're treated to another jam called That's A Lifestyle. A follow-up to jaunty lead cut Break-Thru, the mid-tempo acoustic "protest song" tells the story of the powerful versus everyday folks ("The monster eats its young/Till they're gone/And the rules are there to hurt/And that's the way it's done"). While it doesn't have the same musical impact as its predecessor, it should appeal to the Dirty Projectors fans who love the group's trademark vocal harmonies.
