Choice
      Cuts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stephan’s
      Reviews
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Skyscraper
      National
      Park
     
     
      Artist:
      Hayden
     
     
      Hardwood
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      is
      an
      intimate
      and
      affec-
     
     
      tionate
      homemade
      recording
      for
     
     
      everyone
      who
      has
      missed
      Hayden
      for
     
     
      the
      past
      couple
      of
      years.
      Hayden
      the
     
     
      songwriter
      is
      not
      afraid
      to
      put
      his
      heart
     
     
      into
      his
      words.
      He
      sings
      in
      a
      soft
      whis-
     
     
      pery
      voice,
      kind
      of
      like
      Neil
      Young
     
     
      except
      more
      subdued.
      His
      lo-fi
     
     
      arrangements
      and
      melodies
      are
      inven-
     
     
      tive,
      raw,
      and
      gorgeous.
      Somewhere
      in
     
     
      his
      rustic,
      folksy
      ballads
      emerges
      a
     
     
      spark
      of
      pop
      enjoyment.
      There
      are
     
     
      gems
      hidden
      on
      every
      track
      of
      this
     
     
      record.
      From
      his
      melancholy
      delivery
     
     
      to
      his
      struggle
      to
      hit
      high
      and
      happy
     
     
      notes,
      Hayden’s
      voice
      carries
      his
     
     
      songs
      through
      various
      waves
      of
      emo-
     
     
      tion.
      Watch
      out
      for
      the
      string
      arrange-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ments,
      too.
      I
      can’t
      begin
      to
      describe
     
    

    
     
      how
      wonderful
      those
      things
      make
      me
     
    

    
     
      feel.
      This
      record
      is
      spectacular.
     
     
      -Stephan
      MACLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Come
      With
      Us
     
     
      Artist:
      Chemical
      Brothers
     
     
      Label:
      Astralwerks
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Chemical
      Brothers
      splash
     
     
      beats,
      blips,
      and
      samples
      on
      their
      lat-
     
     
      est
      dance
      floor
      canvas.
      Come
      With
      Us
     
     
      captures
      the
      uplifting
      essence
      of
      the
     
     
      techno
      duo,
      while
      they
      fit
      new
      sounds
     
     
      into
      their
      successful
      catchy
      formula.
     
     
      Their
      blend
      of
      big
      beat
      and
      ambient
     
     
      electronica
      has
      always
      made
      the
     
     
      Chemical
      Brothers
      stand
      out
      among
     
     
      their
      sample-crazy
      contemporaries.
     
     
      Come
      With
      Us
      has
      a
      similar
      atmos-
     
     
      phere
      as
      their
      debut
      record
      Exit
      Planet
     
     
      Dust.
      Their
      instrumentals
      will
      leave
     
    
   
   
    
     
      your
      head
      bobbing,
      their
      weird
      space-
     
     
      age
      beeps
      comfortably
      bounce
      along
     
     
      their
      intense
      electrifying
      drumloops,
     
     
      and
      the
      standard
      collaborations
      with
     
     
      singers
      (Beth
      Orton
      and
      Richard
     
     
      Ashcroft)
      are
      a
      welcome
      addition
     
     
      among
      the
      trance-inducing
      funk
      tunes.
     
     
      Listen
      to
      this
      album
      on
      a
      nice
      long
     
    
   
   
    
     
      drive.
     
     
      -Stephan
      MACLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Easy
      Street
     
     
      Artist:
      Andrea
      Curry
     
     
      Label:
      Independent
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      solo
      work
      of
      Bras
      D’or
     
     
      native
      Andrea
      Curry
      has
      been
      a
      main-
     
     
      stay
      in
      the
      Cape
      Breton
      music
      scene
     
     
      for
      several
      years
      now.
      Her
      latest
      EP
     
     
      demonstrates
      her
      vocal
      range
      and
      song
     
     
      writing
      capabilities
      outside
      of
      the
     
     
      open
      mic
      arena.
      This
      professionally
     
    
   
   
    
     
      recorded
      collection
      of
      upbeat
      jazzy
     
     
      acoustic
      songs
      is
      the
      perfect
      introduc-
     
     
      tion
      to
      Andrea’s
      music.
      However,
      with
     
     
      only
      five
      songs
      included,
      it
      will
      leave
     
     
      listeners
      wanting
      more.
      The
      title
      track
     
     
      is
      a
      poppy
      little
      number
      which
      play-
     
     
      fully
      bops
      along
      while
      Curry’s
      vocals
     
     
      swing
      over
      a
      cheery
      guitar
      melody.
      As
     
     
      the
      beats
      on
      “Institution”
      tap
      away
      in
     
     
      the
      background,
      the
      slow
      distorted
     
     
      guitar
      chords
      in
      the
      background
      linger
     
     
      over
      Curry’s
      floating
      vocals.
      “Sweet
     
     
      Melody”
      is
      an
      ultra-hip,
      slow
      jam
      with
     
     
      a
      smooth
      bassline
      up
      front.
      Curry
     
     
      sounds
      like
      she’s
      ready
      to
      take
      on
      the
     
     
      Nelly
      Furtados
      of
      the
      world
      with
      her
     
     
      own
      strong
      and
      independent
      take
      on
     
     
      pop
      music.
      The
      final
      track
      on
      Easy
     
     
      Street
      is
      a
      soft
      and
      spooky
      tune
      featur-
     
     
      ing
      just
      a
      guitar
      and
      a
      voice.
      A
      beauti-
     
     
      ful
      and
      talented
      voice.
     
    

    
     
      -Stephan
      MACLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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