Colyn Cameron: Sweet Relief

By Kerry Doole

Colyn Cameron - Sweet Relief (Market Garden Records): This acclaimed Juno-nominated indie folk singer/songwriter first made a splash in Wake Owl, then started operating under his own name with the 2018 album, Sad & Easy. 

A new album, Freehand, comes out tomorrow (Aug. 5), preceded by new single Sweet Relief. In a press release, Cameron explains the song this way: "It feels sort of like an internal banter about love in conjunction with some apocalyptic survey. There’s a line in the song, ‘so maybe we can scavenge for some sweet relief. This line feels like how much of the last few years felt like. But also, maybe beyond that, in general. I like the idea that it's not easy to find, or maybe in odd or mysterious places. Relief that is sweet. Really it’s taking a point of view of jesting with its own behaviour and trial.”

Featuring a subtle interplay between acoustic and electric guitar, the track neatly showcases Cameron's gentle and plaintive vocals. The well-crafted tune will appeal to fans of Andy Shauf and Leif Vollebekk.

Describing the theme of Freehand, Cameron states that "I wanted to make something romantic and nostalgic, but freely allowing the calamitous to have its place. I love gadgets and sophistication, being connected, and knowledge but I also find it curious how much is dictated by the obsession with technology, ‘progress’, and prosperity.” Heady stuff.

It has now been ten years since the release of Wake Owl’s first album. In the years following, Cameron has also composed original music for two feature films, numerous different independent projects, and formed new musical and broader artistic collaborations. He relocated from LA to Vancouver a few months before the pandemic began, and the material on Freehand took shape from then, with assists from Josh Contant and another former Wake Owl member, Aiden Ayers.

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Publicity: Ken Beattie, Killbeat