CKUW Program Guide

in the day if she had been able to get her hands on it.

Drawing inspiration from the current events that have rocked the world, while being informed by experiences on a very personal level, Dirty Omen has the ability to touch almost everyone through our shared experiences of taking action through inaction — sitting around and watching dust and pretending everything is going to be alright to protect ourselves and others. When listening to this EP, you find yourself going “Yup. I totally did that, or felt that during lockdown at some point.” Dirty Omen touches on and evokes a myriad of raw emotions that come over you in waves.

The cover art also fits the style of the music perfectly with the face of someone who could be a 50s pin up model, only with a cloth mask. Made by the collage artist Ming Wu, the art was also “an artistic response to this new world we find ourselves in”. Which is perhaps why they fit together so well. They were on the same wavelength at that moment in time. Keeley Braunstein-Black

PAIGE DROBOT WOMAN / EVERYTHING

Woman / Everything, the latest release from local musician Paige Drobot, is everything that your summer playlist needs. Drobot takes rock and roll and turns it on its head, offering a completely unique perspective on the genre with tidbits of jazz peppered throughout her work. Much like its album artwork, Woman / Everything feels and sounds ethereal, taking you to a distant place and working its way into your mind where it stays for hours after listening to it.

The track “Woman,” my personal favourite of the album, gives listeners a taste of what it’s like to be both a woman and a serious musician, using some of the misogynistic comments that Drobot has heard over the years at shows as lyrics. As such, “Woman” offers us a playful critique of Winnipeg’s music scene and an upbeat song to listen to as well, showcasing Drobot’s sense of humour and skill on the guitar.

Following “Woman” comes “Everything,” a more subdued track with a lighter sound that falls into a waltz-like rhythm. “Everything” embodies a bittersweet trip down memory lane with a cinematic feel; if you listen closely enough, its infectious melody can make you feel almost as if you’re light enough to float on thin air. Once again, Drobot’s guitar-playing and song-writing skills are evident in this track with its subtle technical nuances and key changes that reflect her attention to detail and studies in music. Woman / Everything is available on Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, and at your local record shops. Recommended if you like Night Danger Radio, Crystal Palace, and The Trip.

Zoë Lebrun

GUILLERMO GALLACHER ARCOIRIS

Local Winnipeg musician Guillermo Gallacher’s ARCOIRIS (RAINBOW) offers melancholy dream-pop moods and excellent guitar playing, as well as a combination of Spanish and English lyrics which enhance enjoyment for listeners.

‘Adonde quedo tu crazon?’ ( Where is your heart?) starts off the three song project ARCOIRIS on an especially melancholic note. Layers of guitars fill the soundscape, the main melodic line conjures images in my mind of sad cinematic scenes after a heartbreak. Just as the guitar lines begin to be a bit repetitive, the percussion comes into the forefront of the track emphasizing the guitars, and shortly after the main melody is played on what sounds to be a xylophone effect on a keyboard, giving it the feel of childhood. Gallacher’s singing then fills the soundscape, with melancholic crooning to the love interest of the song. Keyboards lightly fill the pocket in between guitar strums creating a well balanced and full listening experience, and an excellent start to ARCOIRIS.

The second track, “flowers take their time”, expands on the melancholic feel of the project, the woozy guitars and keyboard effects are reminiscent of a Mac Demarco demos tape. Once again the soundscape is full of guitar lines and keyboard, enough to reward listeners with unique flourishes and moments with return listening. The lyrical content of the track reflects the idea that patience is required for beautiful things to form. The chorus is more of a sad reminder than inspirational statement, and the verses seem to take more of a stream of consciousness style, which fits the sonic mood of the track quite nicely.

The final track, “a lil something”, showcases the skill of Gallacher on the guitar, the brevity of the track reminiscent of a Tony Molina track, ending on the peak of a guitar solo.

Gallacher’s latest offering showcases his skill in both musicianship and production and is another welcome entry into his blooming catalogue of lo fi dream pop offerings. Paul

Carruthers

DEVON GILLINGHAM DECEMBER EP

As I sit in my apartment in July without air-conditioning, I feel the whistle of the northern wind trace my body with an instance of blissful relief upon hearing the December EP, a collection of lengthy emo-revival tracks from New York (by way of Winnipeg) Jazz virtuoso Devon Gillingham.

“Sunrise,” an aptly named track to start the EP, plays as a lonely but fruitful departure at the crack of dawn. “I left something in the wrong time” cries Gillingham, desperately searching for this something left behind.

Gillingham comes to grips with the galvanization of the human psyche that is ‘Seasonal affective disorder’ on “December” as the dreadful winter takes heed on his everyday life. The wheel of hysteria surrounding social anxiety, and echoing regrets of wasted love leaves Gillingham anchored, and Gillingham finds small accomplishments in stepping outside and leaving his home. “When December comes, I will walk outside.”

The last two tracks of the EP work in tandem to give introspect into Gillingham’s psyche, in how the mind is begging for a place of solace while simultaneously deteriorating at the cold hands of the dreadful season. “First Herd: Seldom” plays out like a car accident in slow motion, a seemingly quiet drive that ends unexpectedly in a heap of chaos, amplified by the growing assault of noise, as the sound of metal rubbing against wood gets more aggressive. What’s left is an old recording of a disgruntled reporter wishing for change, as if the snow begins to layer over top the wreckage. Meanwhile, “Second Herd: Echoes” is a complete contrast from its former, asking for tranquility. Gillingham sings with his heart “but if you want I’ll stay/and we’ll be beautiful/ and we’ll be nothing.” All the while it’s as though Gillingham struggles to define this feeling as comfort or numbness. In the winter season, it’s not unreasonable for these feelings to coexist in order to feel at ease. For fans of: The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die, Smashing Pumpkins, Us and Us Only.

Daniel Kussy

CASIMIR GRUWEL

Casimir Gruwel’s self-titled debut has come a long way. With tracks being written and released as far as 5 years ago, the relinquishing of such a body of work is a cathartic accomplishment for the Winnipeg singer-songwriter.

An artist who once served as a work horse dedicated to helping fulfil the visions of other artists, Casmir Gruwel was patient in fulfilling his own. His debut self-titled album maintains a consistently chill vibe that reverberates like the entire pallet of a Bob Ross painting. The opening track “Winter,” tells of a tale that could be etched within one of Ross’ paintings. Gruwel sings of the trials and tribulations of the brutal season overtop a fingerstyle guitar and a rolling drum pattern.

On “Merit” the guitars float in a way that carries the song, even during vocal breaks the finger-style playing tastefully fills an unforeseen gap. The bridge introduces an overdrive heavy guitar, as if the cloud we’ve been floating on through evaporated beneath us, only to be caught by a Lord of the Rings characterization of an eagle. Before you know it, we find ourselves in the middle of a hair metal track. The loud guitar moments like these are otherwise dispersed across the album on tracks like the “Take Time,” a misty slow jam where the climax sees Gruwel, in sleight-of-hand fashion, pull a Slash influenced solo from out of his sleeves.

Tracks like “Silk” and “Paperbacks’’ are sonically relaxed, as if they were conceived on the fallen tree Gruwel has placed himself within a forest on the album cover. Gruwels voice is calming yet fruitful throughout the album, and his melodic vocal style shines on these tracks. The slide guitar on “Rocks’’ provides a glistening ambience to accompany Gruwels voice in lieu of a sun setting in said

forest. As the album winds down on “Burning the Matchbox,” Gruwel sings as passionately as ever with backup harmonies during the bridge to lift him off his feet. Once the band is brought back into the mix, Gruwel begins to ascend. For fans of: Dan Mangan, Jeff Buckley, John K Sampson. Daniel Kussy

SLOW SPIRIT NOWHERE NO ONE KNOWS WHERE TO FIND YOU

With Nowhere No One Knows Where to Find You, Slow Spirit continues to push traditional rock boundaries. The band’s utilization of an electronic sound gives depth to the production, all while keeping it refreshing and compelling. Punchy drums anchor most of the songs, which see jazz-like instrumentation built on top. The effervescence of Natalie Bohrn’s rich alto vocals bounces around, blessing the chaotic instrumentation.

One of the keys to success for Slow Spirit is Bohrn. Her compelling lyrics are matched only by her incredible voice. On “Woman”, Bohrn effortlessly displays her dynamic vocal rangesounding like an indie Mariah Carey. “I wish I was a monarch butterfly/ When the cold arrives, my wings would carry me to the sun/ I could go back to where I came from” Bohrn sings, shortly before sludge-like guitar

Ulteriors

Wares Survival

Collaged together with undying bop power, Edmonton based Wares’ album Survival, has already garnered national riffs reminiscent of stoner metal arrive.

Many of the songs on Nowhere drift in-between shoegaze and garage rock. In that tough-to-navigate space is where the beauty comes. On “Hard Season,” an acoustic guitar meets a punk-rock drumming pattern — an advantageous dichotomy that creates for rewarding consecutive listens.

The experimental curiosity of Nowhere is what drives the record. Influences from Sylvan Esso or late Bon Iver can be heard on tracks like “Paisley Pattern” or “State of Disintegration.” On one of the album’s best tracks, “Sketchy Symbology” opens with a sample of what sounds like fresh snow crunching under shoes. Bohrn sings, “When I see it in my dreams/ I believe it/ I believe in anything” in a capella before a hypnotic finger-picked guitar supports her alluring melody. The song meanders through a diverse selection of instruments, eventually settling on warm saxophone to close the track.

The unique production is both creative but restrained, which is fascinating when you realize Matt Shellenberg and Matt Peters from Royal Canoe worked on the track. Slow Spirit deserves extra points for not falling into the beastly and audacious production that Royal Canoe enjoys so much.

The album’s last track, “Italo Calvino,” finds ease in the organic nature of music. The simple folk-inspired song utilizes croaking frogs and open expanse to display the diverse talent of the band. Bohrn seems to have some respite in the existential quandary of her journey. Myles Tiessen

FIELD GUIDE YOU WERE

Winnipeg artist Dylan MacDonald weaves a perfect storm of mournful storytelling, soulful melodies, and praise. One of 40 albums nominated for the Polaris Music Prize Longlist, the ten song album is lyrically devastating and compositionally stirring. Survival opens with messy punk and power rock chords which slim down for a synthy power pop anthemic tune. The first two tracks prepare you for the album to take any direction. The front half of Survival feels like an expertly curated compilation album.

An interesting quality of the album is that the songs are written in plain language, though selecting particularly powerful words and phrases that swirl and meld into the tune that make them feel exceptionally impactful. The impressiveness lies within the arrangement of words rather than the vastness of vocabulary, which creates a pillow for impact of hard hitting lyrical instrumentation that fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. Throughout Field Guide’s EP, longingly nostalgic poetry recants the aching feeling of the end of a relationship.

The EP starts off with a quiet but commanding presence on “It’s Important”, while a gleaming synth glows underneath an ensemble of clarinets and a soft, smooth vocal. Steel guitars wail, pulling the song forward with a woefully driven melody.

The title track is painful and hopeful, the way it hurts sometimes to have faith and the strength to move forward. Field Guide sings softly but with clarity and tone that is comparable to artists like Andy Shauf. “Since You Were A Kid” shares vulnerable moments and the longing for the mutual support between lovers. The piano accompaniment breaks down the high-level production from the rest of the EP to express the deepest sentiments of the artist.

If you’ve ever had your heart broken, You Were is an empathetic hand on your shoulder that tells you you’re not alone. Like a dreary rain on a summer day, Field Guide reaches inside and pulls out the most vulnerable parts of the human heart and then exposes them with delicate and thoughtful musical choices. Ryan Haughey

Released July 24th from Winnipeg artist Field Guide, You Were is a five track EP revolving around the pain of losing someone you once wandered into love with, and what it took to wander back out. A siren of smooth slide guitar and piano are coupled together throughout to strengthen what the singer has to say about love found and lost over a lifetime. This EP listens like a broken heart singing itself to sleep before waking up stronger, ready to carry on.

The third track, titled “Sometime,” is punches.

“Tall Girl” is a painful story, specific enough for ambiguity, though providing the appropriate imagery to cut to deep painful places in your own life. The album is emotionally exhausting, and plays on nesting into your body through familiar and nostalgic synth and punk sounds, once inside eating at painful aspects of life, growing up, feeling alone, misunderstandings, and misdirections. “Living Proof,” for example, displays the powerful and crushing storytelling ability of vocalist Cassia Hardy, which sonically could be featured on the Stranger Things soundtrack.

“Tether” presents us with a dream pop tune that spirals into chaos, which often does, and in this case, comes off as gimmicky and leads you to a song that is, compared to the rest of the album, about overcoming being heartsick with someone who understands the feeling fully as they walk the same lonesome road. Together they stand before their shared pain hand in hand, keeping each other upright with their company and understanding. “You’re probably hung up on somebody too; I can just tell, somebody hurt you” he sings of this nameless companion. The track ends by saying “If you need someone just for the night; maybe we can both be that for each other sometime.”

The fourth track, “Since You Were a Kid,” is written about distant memories of a past lover, a past life, and a future that will never be anything more than a dream. The singer and his piano are the only voices heard singing these gentle and poetic verses. “No matter what happens I’ll love you; and I did; but sometimes you can’t hold on to the love that you’ve had since you were a kid” he sings of the person who has long since gone their way. Of these five tracks, this most clearly articulates how suddenly life can change and how it feels for one to watch the clouds of their hopes drift away.

This EP tells personal stories about moving on but having your sleeve catch on every branch of memory as you walk out of the forest which was once true love. Despite the pain, there is a musical fluidity found across this record. In addition to having been tremendously written, this is a beautifully crafted compilation of gentle guitar soloing carried beneath serene moments of piano.

The greatest strength of this soothing EP is the honesty woven throughout. It may reopen your mind to an old flame and the day you realized you had taken the first steps off that familiar path. These lost loves and old pains are what made the singer of Field Guide who he is today and gave him the strength to seek love again. Matt Harrison

(@MattHurrison)

unexceptional, but do not fret and stick with Survival. “Jenny Says” follows, which is an album highlight and a gorgeous stand alone song, though another emotional doozie. Survival doesn’t give you a break from painful experiences, much like life in some instances, though lyrically exploring some of the ups that come with the downs would round out the album, rather than just exploring positive emotionality with strictly instrumentation. It seems Survival is trying to have a song for everyone on the album, though their strength in specificity and storytelling would be interesting to see with lyricism equally as upbeat and exciting as the music itself. Olivia Michalczuk