CD Reviews

Hawksley Workman Between The Beautifuls 2008 ♥♥♥½

The Canuck cult favourite, Hawksley Workman, returns with his ninth (unofficial) release. “Unofficial” because though he only has six major releases, he has released three additional albums on his own label that are only available online or at his concerts (My Little Toothless Beauties being my favourite of said three). Workman’s lyrics are ripe with poetic metaphor and an almost ironic beauty, as they always have been. Lately, he has been expressing far more personal turmoil, which has slowed the pace of his music down considerably over the years. Even “Piano Blink” (perhaps the closest to commercial-sounding this album gets) is reaching the pace and vigour of previous hits “Anger As Beauty” and “Striptease.” “Pomegranate Daffadil” is probably as quick as this album gets. Workman is at his best when each of his songs are individual, never blending. Slower pace or not, Workman weaves unique melodies and a delightful variety of instruments, alongside his ever-soaring voice. Fans will be satisfied that Workman still has great song-writing integrity and continues to create good music. Every chapter of his musical story is a little surprising but always satisfying. — William O’Donnell staff

The Feugh Eye Independent / 2008 ♥♥♥♥½

Exploding with potential since their inception, this perfectionistic acoustic-pop trio of gifted lads has finally released their debut album. Brace yourself — they’ll soon be selling out a venue near you. Honest and introspective, Eye will flood you with memories of love, loss and regret; the music reflects this in its steady rise and fall, never reaching total resolution. Without wallowing in the expressions of loneliness and desolation, the shades of optimism will get you through a dreary Sunday and maybe even a winter that has made its point. Recorded and mixed by Cam Crawford, The Feugh’s bassist, his polished engineering skills are overshadowed by his approach to the bass. Like a lead instrument, he paints delicate lines, climbing into the alto range with an ambitious melodic arc. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters comes to mind, minus the vocals. That’s the job of Bobby Robidoux, The Feugh’s vocalist, who has enough vocal strength to plow through a raspy, passionate chorus and the versatility to hush down during a contrasting verse. His warm, poppy tone is the perfect complement to the luscious guitar work of Adam Walker, the band’s chief songwriter-guitarist. The core of the Feugh, Adam lays down bouncy grooves, sleepy, hypnotic rhythms, and occasional leads that reinforce the aforementioned soaring bass, never a distraction or indulgence. Much of Adam’s lead style is influenced by Peter Czaplinski, a former guitarist for the band who co-wrote nearly half of the tracks, providing lead, bold chordal harmony and unusual song structures on the more instrumental tracks. Still in their infancy, The Feugh has an established sound and no future experimentation will ever detract from their steady evolution. “Running the Race,” a shimmering, standout track, was featured on last year’s Manitoba Amplified, a compilation of tracks from various Manitoban artists. The Feugh shares the album with established local acts including J.P. Hoe and Broken Halo. For a band that has hardly shown their face on the local circuit, this is an impressive feat and an omen for what’s to come. — Nick MacMahon, staff