It’s a sunny morning with a cool breeze lingering after an intense storm last night in Ottawa which produced a tornado. There’s a sense of relief permeating as my wife and I board the train, heading home to London. A few minutes into the ride, I check my inbox for a new record to review. It turns out to be exactly what I needed to hear. The perfect soundtrack for the moment. I’ll go through it track by track…
From Now to Forever – Opening lyrics are “Travelling in world of light, that moves passed me quickly.” Innes’s laidback yet upbeat voice steers the song, while a full band of drums, piano, guitar, bass follow him. I’m along for the ride too. Really digging this.
Rough Falls – The volume is turned down for a laidback, isolated sounding beauty. Wonderful production, reverb and a slight echo on the acoustic guitar keep the song sounding full. When the chorus comes with harmonies and a harmonica solo, i’m ready to close my eyes and let Innes soothe me. I’m just focused on the music and hope my typing skills hold up and I’m able to make sense of this later.
Pelee Beach – An instrumental track. It begins with the sounds of birds chirping as a soft guitar strums to serenade you/me. I wish I was on the beach now, with a small bonfire, laying on a blanket, my wife in my arms. It’s very atmospheric. There’s a splash of a few waves floating on my headphones from one side to the other.
Ballad of Earl Rowe – The band returns, and with them a chantable chorus of “OOHs”. The tempo picks up, and re-emergence of additional instruments are a welcome pleasure for my ears. The drumming is superb. It’s never overpowering but the beats are intricate and precise. I’m in. I want to hear more of this. I want to sing along. Wait.. Oh no! That’s it!!
According to his bio, he’s been quite prolific recently, releasing 3 albums in the last two years. Good. There are still a few hours before I’m home. I’ll head over to his page to check them out… just after I listen to the entire EP once more.
Next time you’re looking for a short, soft, relaxing alt-folk record, put this on. Put it on repeat too, it’s worth a second listen.
Preview and buy “Seaview EP” on Bandcamp.
A bit of a Renaissance man, Steve Murphy is a singer-songwriter, author, and journalist based out of London, Ontario. An avid vinyl collector and audiophile, his personal collection of albums is wide ranging and in the thousands, including four released from his band Westminster Park.
