A Look at the Polaris Long List: 37. Bry Webb – Provider

This is it, the HOLY GRAIL! After repeatedly saying throughout this journey through the Polaris Prize Long List nominated albums for this year how I would only be moved by one of the many, many (many) folk/country, indie/singer-songwriter-y albums on the list, if it was exceptional sounding. And just when I thought that might not happen this year or that just maybe my ears were just not attuned enough to this stuff to recognize the exceptional when I hear it, it finally reveals itself with only three albums left for me to review. Now others may disagree but Bry Webb‘s Provider is a really good listen to my ears. Quiet songs that still speak volumes. Simple but memorable. Heartfelt vocals. And with the kind of quality and personality in the songs that you can actually listen to them over and over again. “Get You Up In Peace” to cite just one standout song on a very good album is a really beautiful piece of music. I might not have voted for this but it was a contender and this is one album that, if it gets shortlisted, I will not have a quibble with over that fact. A pleasant, pleasant surprise.

Dig what you hear in the two track sampler from his label, Idée Fixe Records above or by my endorsement? Then hit the jump to hear the whole album via the Rdio streaming player (preview snippets only for non-Rdio subscribers but c’mon, stop playing and subscribe already)

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A Look at the Polaris Long List: 29. Parlovr – Kook Soul

Have to admit, the Kook Soul album by Parlovr wasn’t too bad. It was a solid listen all the way through and there were tracks I dug. “Married on a Sunday” had a bit of a vaguely Bloc Party feel to it the way the vocals were delivered and I also dig “4000.” Overall though, while it was good it wasn’t transcendentally good to my ears. I already had three picks locked in for my short list ballot that I had voted onto the long list one and there were just other albums I like more than this to fill my final two slots.

[album stream via Exclaim!]

A Look at the Polaris Long List: 11. Cannon Bros – Firecracker​/​Cloudglow

This album was, to my ears, a blend of the folk-y indie sound that, as a genre, seems to dominate the Polaris list year after year but mixed with power pop (by way of oddly, New Order maybe??) which, by Polaris standards, actually rates as making this progressive, relatively speaking. As you can probably guess if you’ve been reading my reviews, just by dint of being a decent but not exceptional execution of that sound, this didn’t rate high in contention for me when I was figuring out my short list ballot picks although some tracks did appeal (like “Plan Rock”, “Glow” and “Just Anybody” to name just some).

A Look at the Polaris Long List: 2. Marie-Pierre Arthur – Aux alentours

Another Francophone album. Competently executed but exciting only in parts. I’d say check out the album and decide for yourself but homegirl (or her label) decided to only post two tracks from the album on her music store page (powered by bandcamp which absolutely allows you to stream an entire album). Who the f-ck does that in 2012??!

Of course, she has like ten gazillion options on how to buy the album there but if you actually like want to check out what you’re buying beforehand, heaven forbid and the standout tracks to me (like “All Right”, “Encore là”, “Chanson Pour Dan” and “Pour Une Fois”) are not either of those two tracks! Bone-headed decisions like that actually turn me off artists who I might actually like. Social music marketing #FAIL! Get your promo game up, girl!

A Look at the Polaris Long List: 32. PS I Love You – Death Dreams

This isn’t my usual bag and acts that are usually media buzz darlings like Kingston, ON duo, PS I Love you (they were simultaneous cover stars for NOW and Exclaim! magazines a couple months back) generally don’t score high with me, but you know what? Death Dreams was f-cking fantastic. Love singer/guitarist, Paul Saulnier‘s off-kilter vocal style and anyone who has a track called “Toronto” and can brazenly rip off the drum track from the Rolling Stones‘ iconic track, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and actually do something that sounds fresh and new with it (on “Don’t Go”, also above) deserves maximum props in my book. Salute! Hit the jump to hear the entire excellent Death Dreams album via the group’s bandcamp page.

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