Arkells

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Morning Report

Last Gang, 2016

8/10

Listen to Morning Report

The 4 time Juno Award winners Arkells took a bold step with this 4th album, where the quintet add exciting textures amid their self-described ‘weirdest, funniest and saddest’ effort to date.

“Drake’s Dad” starts the listen with a gospel influenced version of indie-rock that gets funky, and “Private School” follows with dense piano before upbeat percussion enters the hip-hop friendly setting where frontman Max Kerman’s inimitable pipes show much versatility.

Elsewhere, “Savannah” moves with plenty of melody alongside the folk tinted climate, while “Making Due” is a vocally expressive and poetic display of synth friendly ideas. “Round And Round”, one of the album’s best, then uses strategic acoustic guitar while building into a rhythmic adventure.

Closer to the end, “A Little Rain (A Song For Pete)” is a dance friendly display of multifaceted rock’n’roll that’s quite festive, and “Hangs The Moon” exits the listen in balladry, where a dreamy quality enters the rugged beauty.

Arkells had been listening to a lot of rock records prior to releasing Morning Report, and it shows as they spread their wings outside of the pop realm they previously resided in. The band netted a Juno Award nomination for this album, too, which certainly isn’t unexpected, and it charted at #3 in their home country. If you’re unfamiliar, this would be an ideal place to start, as it represents the band’s vast talent and varied influences across some great songwriting.

Travels well with: July Talk- Touch; The Zolas- Swooner