A guitar and a vocal line can leave a songwriter with nowhere to hide. On “Oh Domination!”, Erik Rabasca uses that exposure to his advantage, following the money behind public hatred until his political disgust becomes something painfully personal. The song was recorded live in a single take without a click track, a choice that suits writing impatient with polite distance. Its central question is how people learn to accept cruelty, and what happens to someone who refuses. Rab

The new record from Mitch Marcus Quintet doesn't waste a lot of time hitting you with audacious sounds that come through bursting with endless energy that, at times, is absolutely through the roof. This is an album that holds little back in the way of giving off vivacious vibes, pulled together with brilliantly fragmented soundscapes and this almost rambunctious feel that makes the record insanely addictive. There's a lot about this record that is a little bit outside the box

Arily Michele’s meditation for wildflowers takes its inspiration from Rocky Mountain landscapes and the return of wildflowers after forest fires. That interest in renewal suits an album whose songs favour gradual development, recurring melodies and a consistent sonic palette. Her third album gives its dream-pop arrangements plenty of time to develop. At its best, Michele’s melodic instincts make a persuasive case for spending an hour in this company. Opening track “alpenglow”

A new single drop from damn!escape comes through with this thick, almost theatrical haunt that bases itself on Halloween night, and the song is bursting with character, simply because these guys can tell this story with such great lyrical detail that it actually paints a picture in your head as the song unfolds. "Midnight Masquerade" depicts all the ghosts and creatures that come out on All Hallows' Eve, and I love how they combine that sense of actual monstrous fiction with

Kacey Fifield is back with a new single that most certainly breeds a punk undertone with a pop-rock overtone, coming through with edgy guitars but vocals that feel almost bubbly, never really letting go of her pop sensibility, mainly because she really knows how to write a catchy song while still giving little pieces of who she is in there. Kacey is pretty outstanding at storytelling. Even when it's from a personal perspective, like this track is, you pretty much get the full

Allison Lupton is back, and this time she's got a full LP that delivers such lush and beautiful soundscapes based in rustic folk and more, rich with warm and addictive instrumentation, an acoustic backbone, and a sort of soothing prairie folk undertone that just feels spirited and inviting almost the entire time. Throughout this record, you can hear the artist's influence not only in folk but in church and spiritual influences as well. The songs come through with this unique