Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few. What the Boat Gave the River.
With their modern folk beats and soulful lyrics, Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few's new album, a companion disc to their 2007 release, What The River Gave The Boat, will make you want to experience Berube's intimate sound in a live venue. The album is still highly enjoyable, with a pleasing mix of upbeat, catchy numbers like "We Go Down"-arguably one of Berube's best tracks-to slower songs with beautiful melodies and melancholy lyrics. Both the enchanting piano solo in "Til the Morning" and cello accompaniment in "Minus 17" display the musicians' technical skill and harmony. The album's last song, a 12-minute track entitled "Shiny Plastic Bags/Barbershop Pt. 2," is more experimental than the other tracks, allowing Berube to showcase his lyrical skill against a changing backdrop that shifts from a fast piano beat to near-silence that resembles spoken poetry.
The unusual mix of cello, piano, bass, and drums and the notable absence of a guitar lend the album an unconventional sound that focusses primarily on Berube's impressive vocals. Tied together by a seamless flow between soothing tracks of different paces and styles, this deeply personal album will leave you humming its melodies and contemplating its poetic quality long after the last song has ended.
-Carolyn Gregoire
FemBots. Calling Out.
FemBots' fourth recording effort follows the critically acclaimed 2005 album The City. It continues the band's innovative adventure through the land of industrial rock. Led by Dave MacKinnon and Brian Poirier, FemBots initially tried to record the entire album using only "junkstruments," instruments made out of garbage by artist Iner Souster. The plan was quickly scrapped due to unpredictable sounds emerging from the junk. Still, "junkstruments" still constitute the base of all the songs, creating a unique and eccentric foundation of noise upon which the FemBots pile on their cleaner pop-rock. The album consists of melodic, sleepy rock, with several songs that run into one another.
Although Mackinnon sometimes sings at a grating pitch, this record cements his place in the group of talented, poetic Canadian lyricists. Influenced by photo exhibits and poetry, FemBots are truly an "artiste" group, albeit not a pretentious one. The second last song, "The End of the Day," was composed after hearing two school bus drivers discussing fine wines. With a little track rearrangement and an open mind, FemBots could be the refreshing response to the fading star of Broken Social Scene, with a horn section to match.
-Margot Bishop
Film. Joseph Arthur: You Are Free.
"Music saved my life." That's no small statement, but when spoken by singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur, the words ring true. The healing power of music is at the heart of Joseph Arthur: You Are Free, the concert movie that finally saw the light of day on October 2 after years spent sitting on a music exec's desk. The film premiered last Thursday at Film Pop to favourable reviews from an audience that was quite large, given the number of other Pop Montreal events running that night.
You Are Free follows Arthur on the first stop of his 2005 tour in Los Angeles at the famed Troubadour Club. The film is a standard concert movie, featuring clips of a candid interview between Arthur and director Bryan Johnson. Over the course of an hour, the film delivers on its promise of music, art, and drama. Never more in his element than when he's making music, Arthur puts on a solid show for a full house of cheering fans, and reflects on his life and career as an artist.
With a penchant for singing falsetto and with a guitar, a bass, and a harmonica in his arsenal, Arthur is a one-man powerhouse. His brand of alternative rock is unique, and his sound is fresh. Because his music and lyrics are never over-thought, one might make the mistake of calling them haphazard. However, music and lyrics gel together and speak true to the heart about love, relationships, and religion. Arthur is also a visual artist. One highlight of the film is when Arthur whips out a paintbrush and begins painting onstage to his own music. As he proudly puts it, "Music is my wife, and art is my mistress."
The film also opens the door to Arthur's personal life, allowing the audience to intimately know this fascinating individual. During the interview, he traces his path from being a dream-filled child in the Midwest to becoming an aspiring musician in the big city, while frankly and movingly discussing his ongoing battle with addiction. While much has changed since he first got his start in the business, music is as much his lifeblood now as ever. Although great commercial success has eluded him, he has found the spiritual success that comes only with a true passion for music. Today, Arthur is all about making the "right kind of music," that is, music of the heart and soul.
-Joshua Rosenblatt
2008 Woodie Awards
Be the first to comment on this story