The latest in new music from local Edmonton artists
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Von Bieker: Dumb Hope
What exactly sets Dave Von Bieker apart from the rest of the indie-folk singer-songwriter pack? His songs are jammed with fanciful details and delectable turns of phrase. His neither flashy nor TV-competition-show-worthy singing is workmanlike but adds to his charm. Some of his songs tackle his evangelical Christian roots but are not pious. And to top it off the dude can rock a bowtie like no one else you’ve ever seen.
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There’s a theme of honesty and wonder throughout Von Bieker’s second album Dumb Hope (out June 28.) His debut, 2021’s Long For This World, was self-produced, but for Dumb Hope he linked up with High River producer Paul Zacharias to co-produce the new album, building on layers and ideas and eventually chiselling the music down to 11 tracks.
The listener is eased into Dumb Hope through its first track, Hasn’t Happened Yet. Gentle keyboards cushion Von Bieker’s lyrics: “If I walk out/Into the sea/Will the waves/Carry me?/Or let me sink/Let me down/Will I survive?/Or will I drown?” Horns and synths float Von Biker to the end of the song before it fractures and leads into The Little Things, which sounds like vintage Von Bieker with its folky banjo and lap steel. Title song Dumb Hope was the first track Von Bieker and Zacharias worked on. Settling in the themes of keeping one’s expectations in check, Von Bieker sings on the chorus: “Dumb hope/ It keeps me happy/But it keeps me broke.”
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It’s not all sleepy laments on life, however. Asheville is an alt-indie-rocker, sounding a bit like Wilco complete with a blistering guitar solo while So I Did is awash in manipulated drum sounds and pitched vocals. However, it’s the hushed beauty on tracks such as All God’s Poems and We Don’t Even Fight Anymore that stands out on Dumb Hope. Von Bieker’s examination of a dying marriage on We Don’t Even Fight Anymore is devastating and All God’s Poems contains devastating lines such as “I am God’s first draft/ Tossed in the trash/A thread that led nowhere too fast.”
Von Bieker’s cunning songcraft gives Dumb Hope its heft, escalating it into capital ‘a’ album status. To listen to it from front to back is an audio journey. The sonic flourishes, such as horns, dobro, cello and ambient sounds, add to the album’s replayability. Dumb Hope is an exceptional album and is sure to raise Von Bieker’s star in the Alberta music scene.
Catch Von Bieker’s album release concert on June 27 at CKUA Radio. He’ll be backed by his Small-Tones Band and Abigayle Kompost as opener.
Sparrow Blue: No Lies, No Tricks
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Sometimes you want to listen to undiluted rock music. Sparrow Blue, seemingly formed out of St. Albert from a pile of ’70s hard rock records, fringe vests and spilled beer, is providing that classic rock experience but for contemporary ears.
Sparrow Blue’s new album, No Lies, No Tricks, is a strictly meat-and-potatoes rock affair. Screechy vocals? You got it. Guitar solos that will make you want to grow out your hair to vintage Jimmy Page length? It’s there. A steady driving backbeat with big splashy cymbals? Hell yeah, brother.
So if this is your cup of tea (lager) then No Lies, No Tricks is for you. The band’s not-so-secret weapon is singer Des Parks, whose raspy pipes can emulate classic rock stalwarts ranging from a soaring Robert Plant to a screeching Axl Rose. Musically the tracks are heavy with guitars that scale mountaintops and often recall the bluesy twang of Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready. Pearl Jam is officially classic rock, donchaknow.
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The songs are a grabbag of classic rock tropes. Jack the Stranger rides a catchy guitar hook, Don’t Tell Me Nothin’ is a fun little stomper that would sound right at home in the middle of a Black Crowes setlist and the moody, atmospheric River Water resembles a Gun N’ Roses b-side. Album highlight and single Hold Me Down features a danceable drum beat, strutting guitar riffs and enormous bellowing from Parks. It’s the kind of song one could imagine soundtracking beer commercials soon.
No Lies, No Tricks doesn’t set out to reinvent the genre, but as it says right in the album title, offers up rock music best played loudly. Listen to the album on your favourite streaming site. The band is currently on a Western Canada tour, but you can next catch them live opening up for The Lazys July 6 at the Starlite Room.
Rachel Gleddie: Hibernate
Many musicians strongly dislike having to categorize their music, insisting their music can’t be pigeonholed. Modern music meant for mass consumption now largely falls under an amalgamation of music trends, which is best to describe the songs Rachel Gleddie crafts. The Edmonton singer-songwriter creates music that can be categorized as a mash-up of country, pop and folk, which is evident on her new album Hibernate.
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Gleddie is the real deal, however. Her singing is sturdy and rich in timbre, swooping from a confessional whisper to belting out anthemic lyrics; Gleddie’s musicality is on full display on Hibernate. Teased by several songs released throughout the year, the album due out on June 28 is designed to showcase all of Gleddie’s formidable talents.
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While the songs are fully formed, some come across as sketches meant to be fleshed out later or, more likely, designed to be performed in an intimate setting. Single When You’re A Kid rides a stomp-clap groove with Gleddie waxing nostalgically about childhood innocence and the near-endless outdoor adventures. Production on the track gives it a reverby bombast meant to stand out on a playlist. Likewise with That’s Not Me, with its giant chorus meant to be heard at a music festival.
Hibernate will be released on June 28. Gleddie has an album release show on July 17 with support from Esther Forseth at The Aviary.
Jordyn Rayne: Lady
When we last heard from Jordyn Rayne, 2022’s Time Capsule, her music was gentle and slightly jazzy, something the over-60 set could tap their toes to. For her new album she’s cranked everything to 11 and let loose with a set of songs bordering on metal and pop-punk.
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Rayne’s songs on Lady largely reflect what she experiences as a woman in her early 20s: cyberbullying, body image pressures, femininity, etc. As for the music, Lady hews closely to the Top 40 pop-rock music of the early 2000s, the kind Avril Lavigne made a career out of. The guitars are distorted and crunchy and Rayne’s singing is steady and melodic, giving the tracks a punch that cracks through the modern rock din.
Listen to Lady on streaming sites. Catch Rayne live at BlakBar Tavern on Saturday along with Ruined Escape Plan and Melina.
huculakc@gmail.com
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