New sounds and great lyrics

The House on the Mountain
Teen Daze
8-out-of-10

A critically acclaimed catalogue follows this "mastermind" of quirky electronic pop. Jamison Dick, known on stage as Teen Daze, is a Frasier Valley rooted musician with an incredible ability to mix and manipulate sounds and beats into addictive tracks ripe for any season. His latest release, The House on the Mountain, was inspired by and recorded in his new house (on a mountain) and aims to represent what surrounds him this spring in British Colombia.

With the release, Jamison reveals much experimentation and sampling came out of the kitchen wares of this new house. On the tracks, the rhythm section is somewhat made up of ticks and knacks from what could be bowls to salt shakers. It's not a new technique but it is so perfectly executed here that the sounds just blend into the synths and guitars, sounding completely natural.

The House on the Mountain runs short at only four tracks but these four tracks are so jam packed with interesting beats, rhythms, and especially warping melodies that hitting the repeat button could yield hours of frivolous entertainment.

Find this record and the large, and equally prolific, back catalogue of Teen Daze at teendaze.bandcamp.com

-SEAN CRAIB-PETKAU

Grand Ghosts
Kacey Johansing
10-out-of-10

I think chamber pop is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres for its large mixture of influences. Bringing in folk melodies with the immensity of post-rock and the arrangements of classical is just brilliant. Many artists are springing up in this genre and most recently I discovered Kacey Johansing. Her latest releaseGrand Ghost is a tight record with many fun and expansive passages.

Focusing largely on her smooth, beautiful voice, she is surrounded by an orchestra of pop music goodness. There are far too many elements to break down in this short review, but the overall sentiment of the album is a nod to the early exploration of chamber pop and lounge music of the early 60's.

From the crisp and tight percussion of "Pinecone" to the large arrangement of "Honey Sugar Molasses", Johansing explores every avenue down to the cracks in the pavement. The thorough spread of inspiration and the many tone changes throughout the record make it a very enjoyable listen. Audacious melodies play over full instrumentation on many tracks, while some are stripped back to necessity. Johansing pulls on the reigns when needed but let's ideas and sounds run rampant when called for. This balance sets Grand Ghosts apart from many obtrusive efforts which go for sheer volume over vivacious sound.

This album is on the dreamy, soulful end of the spectrum but remains clear in its vision. I think it is safe to say that there wasn't one thing that I didn't like about it. Grand Ghosts is definitely a record to seek if you're a fan of Feist or Florence and the Machine.

-SEAN CRAIB-PETKAU