Ghost Woman/Potatohead People
Ghost Woman
Anne, If // Independent
In my little hometown and homebase of Lethbridge, Alberta, few local artists are capable of packing a venue quite like Ghost Woman. Part of that may be because of frontman Evan Uschenko’s years of road experience playing for singer-songwriters such as Michael Rault and the (formerly) fellow Lethbridge-based Leeroy Stagger. Part of that may be because Uschenko has managed to distinguish both his guitar playing and production so that his handiwork is easily recognizable. Maybe some audience members wanted to find out if the band really consists of female spectres (unfortunately, none of the members are really ghosts or women). But most of all, Ghost Woman is popular because they’re incredibly good; and this is showcased in their newest release Anne, If.
Released earlier this year on Halloween, which is appropriate for the band name, Anne, If followed the band’s tradition of releasing music on the eve of a full moon (though it also breaks the tradition of having their inverted tree logo on the cover art). The album is their long-awaited sophomore three years in the making and a continuation of their psychedelic desert rock tendencies, though now with much more time to mold the songs and recordings to the band’s liking. Like May’s EP Beat It, Kook, the music is a deliberate callback to 1960s rock; but while Kook is reminiscent of the early to mid-60s, Anne seems more like a love letter to the more cryptic, complex and psychedelics-influenced sound of the late 60s, with even the technical side of the recording following such suit (note the tinny sound quality among more specific details). This adherence to old-fashioned aesthetics is part of Uschenko’s signature, as is the punchy compression on the drums. The usual upbeat sound on the album is broken up by such tracks as the slow country-ish breakup ballad “Lo Extraño” (Spanish for “I Miss Him”), the relaxing subsequent track “Arline”, and the slightly more modern-sounding “Tripped”, which also features a change in lead vocal duties. While on the subject of vocals, another signature of the band is Uschenko’s coolly murmury delivery, a style he only abandons in favour of urgent shouts in the intense and implicitly political single “The End of a Gun”, whose accompanying music video features 50-year-old biker movie footage that perfectly fits the music.
Ultimately, Anne, If is as much an ode to the hippie era of rock as it is a showcase of some of the best the Lethbridge music scene has to offer. I would expect nothing less from Ghost Woman.
- Ty Vanden Dool
Potatohead People
Mellow Fantasy // Bastard Jazz Recordings
Mellow Fantasy, Potatohead People’s newest album, is a cohesive and engaging ode to Hip-Hop’s jazz roots. Boasting smooth, detailed production that wouldn’t be out of place on a compilation of Dilla beats, the album also avoids getting lost in emulation: Potatohead People’s style is one that doesn’t just pull from an established tradition, but builds and contributes as well.
Potatohead People are a Vancouver-based hip-hop/electronic producer duo. Composed of Nick Wisdom & Astrological, the duo have made a name for themselves as a talented production team, recently signing with New York-based label Bastard Jazz and collaborating even just on this most recent album with such prolific artists as Slum Village and De La Soul. Heavily influenced by J Dilla and Madlib, the duos’ relaxed, funky production is a credit to Hip-Hop’s jazz resurgence alongside the likes of Badbadnotgood and Thundercat.
Relaxed drum beats drive this album, carrying samples, piano, guitar riffs, trumpets, and funky basslines through the thirteen songs on Mellow Fantasy. Although Potatohead People are willing and able to offer up complexity, this project is characterized by simplicity, with mostly stripped down drums and instrumentation that sometimes verges on ambient. Mellow Fantasy focuses on an atmosphere that engages while leaving tons of room for the plethora of vocal features.
The third single from the project, “Hidden Levels,” features fellow Vancouver local Clear Mortifee. An airy and rhythmic RnB track, “Hidden Levels” showcases Potatohead People’s versatility as they blend neo-soul and synth-RnB under Clear Mortifee’s dancy and charming vocals and into the album concept. The next track, “Baby Got Soul” featuring De La Soul and Kapok, is a jazzy, nostalgic Hip-Hop track that is far from out of place despite directly following an RnB track, serving as a credit to Potatohead People’s distinctive and intricate production.
As a whole, Mellow Fantasy is cohesive and places itself meaningfully in the tradition that it builds on, while contributing a distinct personal style and take. By not feeling the need to overstate their technical skill, Potatohead People leave room on this project for the strength of their musical vision and production style to shine. The end result is a truly mellow album that remains engaging throughout and manages to deftly wrangle a wide swathe of Hip-Hop and related genres into one cohesive and effective statement.
- Devon Acuña
