While Drake and The Weeknd may have persuaded the world to view Canadian artists with a bit more respect, they aren’t the only ones with homegrown talent. Here are some of the notable examples (and personal favourites) from recent years.
Alvvays – “Archie, Marry Me”
Pronounced “Always” and not “All-vays”, the Torontonian quintet appears to be the new poster band of indie music with their twee pop style and peroxide-blond female lead. The melody drips of young love and is further shot with a saccharine rush when Molly Rankins steps in with vocals. It becomes clear the group refuses to be boringly cutesy after the cynical words “You’ve expressed explicitly your contempt for matrimony / You’ve student loans to pay and will not risk the alimony” plays itself out. Then again, the sardonic wit is exactly where the charm of Alvvays lies, particularly when they neatly sum up their generation in one line, “Too late to go out, too young to stay in”.
Tokyo Police Club –“Bambi”
The four-piece from Newmarket resembles a more guitar based version of Vampire Weekend with their fun loving attitude and witty lyrics. David Monks’ aloof drawls describe some youthful shenanigans to the background of a very danceable tune. Gliding synths are accompanied by some snappy alliteration in the chorus “Barely awake but I still got my stripes / Cause you’re the killer with a coloured kite”.
Yukon Blonde – “Como”
“Como” just about epitomizes the 80’s synth rock genre a few seconds into the song. The hook “Come home with me tonight” carries a lighthearted melody while the pleading vocals reveals a melancholic undertone. The most winning part of the song reveal itself in the instrumental ending where the riffs twists and turn in a harmony that resonates of nostalgia and longing.
Purity Ring – “Bodyache”
The electro-pop duo from Edmonton juxtaposes delicacy and danger by blending emotional lyrics with edgy beats. The alluring bridge “Take a break, take me down, take me down there /I wanna stare at the tears, how they watered your years” leads to a blasting bass chorus of “I lied now I’m lying awake /I cried until my body ache”, the crystalline vocals turn into an outright cry in describing the insomnia that comes with painful regret.
Mounties – “Tokyo Summer”
While having an actual summer adventure in Tokyo would be ideal, it is also not too bad imagining it while listening to this song. The most noticeable quality that appears is the Asian melody of the chorus, fitting to the description of Mount Fuji against the skyline. The details of a hazy affair flows effortlessly together in rhymes and half-rhymes “We lay together under stars as if we didn’t exist / I feel the teasing of the storm clouds on both of our lips / Some of this feels so dangerous and it’s hard to resist / Some of this is just so much safer to let go than to miss”.
Born Ruffians – “Needle”
Rollicking chords and upbeat drums back the endearingly vulnerable lyrics in “Needle”. The song muses on the pains of growing up, but treats it as a liberating process when describing the fleeting nature of belonging. Lead singer Luke Lalonde refers to himself as a “song without an album” and hardly throws a backward glance when he decides “won’t be long until I am gone”, varying the degrees of optimism and anxiety in his voice to match. “Needle” is a wonderfully written reflection on coming of age, just because there aren’t many songs out there that can so effectively compare a person to basic arithmetic or being a watermelon.
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