Thursday, September 3, 2015

Simcoe – A Band Review

     If you find a person with taste in music that has an alignment with yours, monitor the person’s revelations and recommendations. In following that advice, Indie Obsessive monitors the revelations and recommendations of Alex Rainbird. He resides in London and regularly posts his discoveries on his Youtube channel (if you're interested in visiting his channel CLICK HERE).
     Alex Rainbird introduced us to Simcoe, an Indie band from Toronto. In June 2015, Simcoe released an EP of three songs that we individually enjoy and recommend. But “Lost” is the one that stands out. The song is a “weave” in the sense that threads of sounds are interlaced into a work in which the visibility of the individual threads contributes to, rather than distracts from, the overall attractiveness of the work. The best approach to appreciating the weave is to focus on the entrance and exits of the individual instruments during “Lost.”


     The piano plays a more significant role in the song “Afterglow,” but it’s the cooperation of the piano and guitar that is particularly interesting. There is a hint of Arcade Fire in the vocals, until the chorus arrives.


     The third song on “Simcoe EP” is “Closer.” It is not the weave of “Lost.” Rather, “Closer” is defined by its segments. There are three main segments. The first fits most comfortably in the Dream Pop genre. At the 1:28 mark, the kick drum significantly steps up the tempo as the second segment begins. In this segment, the guitars move the song closer to the Rock genre, although elements of Pop are readily apparent. A fifteen-second bridge (2:43 until 2:58) resides between the second and third segments. The third segment becomes increasingly more technologically demanding. At the start, a treble guitar carries the listener along, but approximately halfway through the segment, instrument layering becomes the driving force.


     The members of Toronto-based Simcoe are Mike Barford, Jake Gehlen, Bobby Houston, Julian Hoyle and Mike Strizic.

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