SHEARING PINX, Eamon McGrath, Epic, and Beverly Glenn-Copeland
SHEARING PINX - PURSE PECTIVE
Another weird compilation from one of the greatest bands in the world, Shearing Pinx. Someone gave me a cd of theirs in 2007 and it wrecked me. Almost 20 years and 60+ releases later, I’m still hooked. The first 4 tracks are noisy, stressful and shambolic. They are a comforting, warm sweater for the restless-brained and static-hearted. The next three are loud, art-punk songs recorded live at CJSW that are big and powerful. It shows the side of Shearing Pinx that could be playing stadiums. The last song takes the CJSW session outro and samples it into a quiet, creepy 7 minute outro. This little compilation is a treasure, and like every Shearing Pinx release, utterly essential.
Eamon McGrath - Analog Requiem For A Digital World (2005-2025)
On one end of the Eamon McGrath spectrum is a screaming man standing in front of the gnarliest, loudest rock and roll band you’ve ever seen. On the other, a man quietly crooning beautiful poetry over folk music. Both of these are the real Eamon. Or, maybe, Eamon is always a bit of these things. This is a weird little compilation spanning 20 years. The common element is the songs are all rough, non-studio recordings. The first seven are recent home recordings. They are incredible. McGrath’s songs are perfect little packages. They are unpretentious and wise quiet little folk songs Side two ranges from live recordings of his old band The Wild Dogs, mixed with live radio performances, demos recorded while traveling and other forgotten relics. The first half sounds great. The second half sounds rough. It all sounds perfect. All of them are the real Eamon.
Epic - Heater In My Truck II
Following up, on last year’s incredible A Library Called Calder, a collaboration with Deadly Stare, Epic is back with another masterpiece. An Epic album flows like the best conversation you can imagine. He tells stories about his past. Chunks of memories sewn together and displayed. He talks about his present days in North Edmonton. He talks about his favourite places, his concerns with police militarization and the I <3 Oil & Gas culture that surrounds him. He gets playfully boastful, delicately wistful and casually intellectual. He drops underground rap references liberally and reverentially. The beats are mostly laid-back, and when they aren’t, Epic makes them feel that way anyway. Epic makes you feel comfortable. He makes you feel welcome. He’s a man who sees the world around him through a rare and unique lens and is kind enough to share that with the world.
Beverly Glenn-Copeland - Laughter In Summer
“Laughter In Summer, an album the couple made together—realizing, before long, that it was a love letter to one another” Beverley and Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland wrote and performed this record together, backed by simple piano, clarinet and a choir of some of Canada’s most talented vocalists. It is a perfect love letter. Every song is a love song. Some in a traditional way, like how “Harbour” is every bit as powerful a love song as Unchained Melody. Most of the tracks aren’t that obvious. What makes Laughter In Summer a love letter is hearing the stunning voices of both Glenn and Elizabeth playing together, sitting together and walking together. Every syllable drips with love. Rabid, passionate love. Stoic, respectful love. Old, comfortable love and the kind of love that is new, fresh and eternal. If someone ever created a religion based on pure, selfless love, and not higher powers, these would be the hymns.
