Linda Catlin Smith

The Plains

Redshift, 2025

8/10

Listen to The Plains

The Toronto pianist Cheryl Duvall fleshes out a solo listen of Linda Catlin Smith’s work, where the nearly 70 minute piece is delivered with incredible detail.

“The Plains” leads soft and introspective, where Duvall’s attentiveness to space and tonality is appreciated. Deeper into the track, the lower registers emit a sense of wonder amid the elegance, and, by the end, it harbors an ominous backdrop. Right before the song departs, an upbeat demeanor enters the meticulous and inspiring landscape of beautiful introspection.

The first in a set of four volumes of Smith’s work that Duvall will tackle, this effort is captivating and thought provoking from beginning to end.

Travels well with: Friendly Rich- The Birds Of Marsville; Joane Hétu- Elle a son mot á dire

Friendly Rich

The Birds Of Marsville

We Are Busy Bodies, 2025

9/10

Listen to The Birds Of Marsville

The Canadian and experimental artist, Richard Marsella, i.e. Friendly Rich, returns with a 17th album, and like everything he’s touched, it’s iconoclastic and imaginative.

The first half of the listen consists of “Birds 1 to 39”, and it opens with spoken word before Gregory Oh’s keys and Nick Fraser’s drums complement the 18+ minutes of atypical cabaret nods that do inject the sounds of bird calls. The tune alternates between busy bursts and softer, carnival-esque ideas, where the unpredictable nature is much appreciated.

“Birds 40-76” occupies the back half and carries a similar approach. Nichol S. Robertson’s guitar, Ed Reife’s orchestral percussion and Tom Richards’ brass are all mashed in there, where the eccentric tune emits waves of upbeat bouts as well as busy, noisey bursts that sometimes mimics the squawks of birds in the wild.

Marsella plays a variety of noisemakers here, where there’s much beauty to enjoy, oddities to be enamored with and psychedelic traces to try to keep up with. Somewhere between avant-folk and math rock, Friendly Rich again mesmerizes us with his unconventional vision.

Travels well with: Joane Hétu- Elle a son mot á dire; No Hay Bando- Il Teatro Rosso

Alan Evans

Nothing To Say

Vintage League, 2019

8/10

Listen to Nothing To Say

On the debut album from Alan Evans we get to see what he’s capable of when he comes out from behind the drum kit, and it’s an impressive collection of psychedelic, funk, and soul sounds where he handles vocals, drums, guitar and bass and takes help from a small handful of players to flesh out the varied listen.

“Buffalo” starts the record with a retro feel where grooves are not in short supply as Evans hits some high notes, and “Nothing To Say” follows with a dense setting of ‘70s rock’n’roll spirit. Further along, “Too Much For Me” is a subdued moment of rhythm and melody, while “Oh Tammi” brings in a fuzzed out atmosphere of playful instrumentation.

The back half doesn’t disappoint either, with the charged and calculated “Pressure”, the soulful “Sparky The Flying Dog”, and the nearly prog-rock friendly “Part II- Waiting On Command”, “Life After Life” ends the listen with a calm and mysterious setting that’s about as close to balladry as Evans will get.

Recorded over a 4 year period, Nothing To Say flows seamlessly as Evans and company display plenty of power and melody amid very high quality songwriting. Perhaps best known for his work in Soulive, Evans proves here that a booming solo career is right around the corner.

Travels wel with: Lettuce- Crush; The London Souls- Here Come The Girls