It’s springtime and colour is again trying to push its way through the ground, as the buds are slowly but miraculously beginning to appear on long naked tree branches and bushes. It all makes the world feel and look like a better place. That sense of renewal, seemingly effortless, natural, eternal and magical also brings hope and optimism.
Funny, but I really feel the same about “Can’t Stop Loving You,” a recent cut from Montréal’s multi JUNO-Award winning trio Half Moon Run. With their organic sound (captured at the aptly named Treehouse Studio), this is a light warm breeze of a recording from their latest “Live From The Treehouse” EP, with close harmonies and tasteful strings further augmenting the seasonal shift and mood.
Originally intended to appear on the band’s well-received 2023 “Salt” album, this beautiful tune somehow missed the final cut, for reasons that vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Conner Molander attributes to sounding overly cheerful. For me, it seems like a strange sentiment to link to the song, with these ears of mine picking up a distinct and pervading melancholia throughout. Either way, it’s still a delightful listening experience.
Known for their dynamic live performances and born from friendship spanning twelve years together, Conner and bandmates Devon Portielje (lead vocals/guitar) and Dylan Phillips (vocals/drums/piano) have spent plenty of time crafting their sound and identity – with a back catalogue that stretches from their previous “A Blemish in the Great White Light” album, through two EPs and a collection of reworked ‘isolation versions’ of older tunes.
With this latest tune, and three more outstanding cuts on the EP just itching to be heard, this proves to be a positive addition to their collection. I was almost ready to comment that this is a band that will surely blossom and bloom entering this new season, but that clearly happened way back when – no matter what, this should be the summer of their lives.
Photo Credit: Jennifer McCord
Music has been a lifelong passion, a journey that as a child embraced the late 60's counter culture and has lasted until the present day. Despite trying to play guitar for the best part of 45 years, to his own frustration, never much beyond the first four bars of “Stairway to Heaven.” A self-confessed vinyl junkie, his other interests include collecting music memorabilia, old Muhammad Ali fight programs, and watching film. He lives alone in Nottingham (England) and still uses the term “Groovy” - these two facts may be intrinsically connected.
