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Beams: You Are An Ocean

The acclaimed Toronto folk-rock septet teases a forthcoming sophomore album with an advance single that showcases the expressive vocals and imaginative lyrics of Anna Mernieks. This will leave you craving more.

Beams: You Are An Ocean

By Kerry Doole

Beams - "You Are An Ocean" (Independent): Toronto folk-rock combo Beams made a mark with its 2013 debut release, Just Rivers¸ and plans to release its next album, Teach Me To Love, on Feb. 23. A long time in the making,the band explains that  "during the writing of the record, lead singer/songwriter Anna Mernieks went down a mental spiral that wreaked havoc on her personal and artistic life." Given that the group has scheduled an upcoming North American tour, it would seem she is back on track.


This lead single, recorded and mixed by Ian Gomes and mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Peter J. Moore, is impressive, with sophisticated and yet subtle production flourishes boosting the sound of the septet.

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"You Are An Ocean" showcases the clear and expressive voice of Mernieks, and is ably enhanced with a chorus of backing vocal tracks. Lyrically, it connects the individual and the universal, with such intriguing lyrics as "skin is just a membrane, not a wall at all." At 2.27 in length, it is a concise track that leaves us thirsting for more.

Beams plays six North American shows in February, including dates at This Ain't Hollywood in Hamilton (Feb. 21) and Smiling Buddha in Toronto (Feb. 23). A full itinerary here

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New & Upcoming Canadian Albums: Punjabi-Canadian Producer GMINXR Drops 'Hit List' EP on 91 North Records

Also this week, Neil Young puts out the new documentary soundtrack, Coastal, and Tami Neilson has announced the new album, Neon Cowgirl. Check out the full release calendar here.

It's a holiday weekend, but Good Friday hasn't stopped the slew of releases on New Music Friday,.

Heading up notable new releases this week is GMINXR. Fresh from a Juno Awards performance, the internationally renowned Punjabi-Canadian producer now has his own release, Hit List, featuring Tegi Pannu and Zehr Vibe. It's out on 91 North Records, the label collaboration between Warner Music India and Warner Music Canada. The five-song EP is inspired by both golden era hip-hop and Punjabi folk music, and infused with GMINXR's trademark trap beats.

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