Fresh Tracks: New releases from Mallory Chipman, Headline, Major Love

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Mallory Chipman: Songs to a Wild God

The natural world is featured heavily in Mallory Chipman’s discography, especially in her last release, the birdsong-inspired EP 2023’s As Though I Had Wings. Chipman once again reconnects with nature on her new album, Songs to a Wild God, working through various musical styles to craft an eclectic listen.

“In the making of this album, I learned that I am a product of my influences — and that’s not something to escape, but rather embrace,” Chipman says in a press release. “I have felt myself become liberated from industry expectation and free to journey wherever the art takes me. That’s why I believe this album to be my best work yet.”

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Songs to a Wild God, Chipman’s fifth studio album, is refreshingly organic and charmingly dishevelled in the way intrusive weeds add a bracing contrast to a blooming flower bed. Folk rock sounds intertwine with country, pop and even jazz elements across the album’s 10 songs. Chipman, who handles vocals, guitar, keyboards and production on her album, is backed by a solid group of musicians, including multi-instrumentalists Brett Hansen and Nico Humby, Jon Guenter on drums, Connor Walsh on bass and saxophonist Mark DeJong.

Album highlights include I Am Slumber, a jangly folk-rock number with electric guitar adding a welcome dash of grit throughout; the emotive Same Hands which lyrically presents the dichotomy between love and pain; and Big Sky Country, with its live-off-the-floor recording creating a future campfire singalong favourite. Her vocals are stunning on Songs to a Wild God, which listeners have grown to expect from Chipman, but it’s an auditory delight to hear her duet with Kaeley Jade on the delectable Old Man River.

Songs to a Wild God will be released on Friday, Sept. 27. Listen to it on your favourite streaming platform. Chipman will also perform an album release concert at the Citadel’s Rice Theatre on Oct. 24 with support from Wyatt C. Louis.

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Headline: Vesuvius

Edmonton’s Indigenous rapper Headline has been keeping busy since releasing his triumphant debut album in 2022 by working with other artists and dropping a few of his own singles.  Now he’s released an EP collecting those loosies and a few new tracks. On Vesuvius, Headline, Jesse Elechko, tackles topics such as fame, drugs and loneliness across varied sonic beats. 

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The EP kicks off with Trading Spaces (Native Jesus), where Headline raps about God and personal evolution over a soulful backdrop. Next up is Charlie Sheen, which as the title suggests is about the perils of drugs. Warped, woozy sounds swirl as Headline spits lyrics about depraved parties. Broken Heart Syndrome switches up the subject matter, with Headline looking inward and reflecting on his career path as a lonesome guitar riff rings in the background. The chilled-out, wheezing Champions features a guest verse from New Orleans rapper Curren$y and is one of the EP’s standouts. Vesuvius ends with the contemplative Lonely, burbling with interesting sounds and heartwrenching vocals.

Listen to Vesuvius on various streaming platforms. 

Major Love: Live, Laugh, Major Love

The soulful rock collab between Colleen Brown and Scenic Route to Alaska, Major Love, is back with its sophomore album, Live, Laugh, Major Love. Shea Connor, Trevor Mann and Murray Wood, known as indie-rockers Scenic Route to Alaska, bring out the inner rock siren in Brown, who in turn finds new, rootsy avenues for the guys to explore as part of Major Love. The resulting sound is soulful and spunky, with the group hitting their stride on Live, Laugh, Major Love.

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Produced by the band and Marcus Paquin, the album simply put rocks. Earlier single Making the Most of It found Major Love exploring a retro-70s vibe, complete with chugging riffs, shout-along lyrics and noodling guitar lines. Powerful Hammond B3 organ sounds blast out from the speakers on One Woman. Arena-ready drums propel the catchy Mountain Standard Time. Major Love didn’t set out to invent the rock genre on the album, but the songs are still fresh and will sink into your temporal lobe.

Don’t take my word for it, give Live, Laugh, Major Love a listen online.

Quick hits

Edmonton Americana band The Hearts have released a new song The Long Goodbye, set to feature on their upcoming new album, Traces. Keep your ears tuned for the album, set to drop on Nov. 8.

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