Single Servings, Jan. 31, 2022
In this week’s Single Servings, The Weather Station makes a surprisingly quick return, Pierre Kwenders pays tribute to one of his heroes, Begonia falls in love, and much more!
By Jason Schneider
In this week’s Single Servings, The Weather Station makes a surprisingly quick return, Pierre Kwenders pays tribute to one of his heroes, Begonia falls in love, and much more!
Bryan Adams – Never Gonna Rain
Release Date: Jan. 25
Label: BMG
It’s been quite some time since the Canadian Music Hall of Famer Adams has appeared on a lot of peoples’ radar, but his upcoming album So Happy It Hurts (out March 11) might be a sign of a mini-renaissance. The latest single, Never Gonna Rain, finds Adams getting back to basics with a simple, stripped-down rock sound that highlights his voice, which—it’s easy to forget—is as distinctive as Rod Stewart’s.
Stream/Purchase: https://bryanadams.lnk.to/NeverGonnaRainPR
The Weather Station – Endless Time
Release Date: Jan. 25
Label: Next Door Records
Only a year after releasing the internationally acclaimed album Ignorance, Tamara Lindeman’s ever-evolving project is poised to release a follow-up, How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars, on March 4. First taste Endless Time is a stark piano ballad that finds Lindeman furthering Ignorance’s theme of the growing climate crisis, echoing a lot of the fear and anxiety felt by her audience.
July Talk – I Am Water
Release Date: Jan. 27
Label: Danuta/Six Shooter Records
Although released last November as a stand-alone single, July Talk’s I Am Water now has a trippy video, directed by Jared Raab, described as “disaster realism meets hypercolour existentialism.” Indeed, any additional chemical stimulation isn’t really necessary, as the visuals are enough to heighten the song’s hard-driving, jagged sound.
Kyle McKearney & Jason McCoy – Hunger Strike
Release Date: Jan. 27
Label: Independent
Canadian country legend McCoy and rising Calgary-based Americana star McKearney team up on this cover of the Temple Of The Dog classic to raise funds for Food Banks Canada. The campaign runs until Feb. 20, and donations can be made at https://foodbankscanada.akaraisin.com/ui/hungerstrike.
Pierre Kwenders – Papa Wemba
Release Date: Jan. 26
Label: Arts & Crafts
Congolese-born, Montreal-based musician and DJ Kwenders releases José Louis and the Paradox of Love on April 29, which expands the sounds of his previous two Polaris Prize-recognized efforts. On Papa Wemba, Kwenders pays homage to his homeland and specifically the artist it’s named after, the “King of Rumba Rock” and pioneer of the La Sape subcultural movement who died in 2016.
Digging Roots – Skoden
Release Date: Jan. 26
Label: Ishkōdé Records
This latest single from Digging Roots’ fourth album, Zhawenim, offers a burst of energy and positivity with buzzing blues edges and driving momentum. Skoden itself represents a call for solidarity in the face of chaos and oppression. As one half of the duo, Raven Kanatakta, says, “Skoden speaks about a mindset of action and the adverse environmental impacts that we’ve created for our planet. The sooner we embrace the concept of compassion the sooner we can lead with our hearts.”
Begonia – It’s Too Quiet
Release Date: Jan. 26
Label: Rex Baby Records
Winnipeg dynamo Begonia's latest effort It’s Too Quiet follows last year’s one-off single Heaven, offering a soulful, sultry slow jam that revels in the uncertainty and excitement of new love. Alexa Dirks herself describes it as, “When you just want to be around someone all the time but aren't sure how they feel about you, you second guess every text and every phone call before finally just letting the other person know how you feel. I feel like this phase of a relationship is all at once exhilarating and torturous.”
Sham Family – Plaque Protection
Release Date: Jan. 19
Label: Wavy Haze Records
The buzziest Toronto band of 2022 so far appears to be Sham Family, whose politically-charged, post-punk influenced self-titled four-song debut EP is now starting to make the rounds. Plaque Protection takes aim at corporate domination within society, with its jagged beats and guitars carrying on the spirit of Gang Of Four and Wire.
Eamon McGrath – Age Of Unease
Release Date: Jan. 28
Label: Saved By Vinyl
McGrath has built his reputation as a hard-touring punk troubadour, but his upcoming album Bells Of Hope (out Feb. 25) promises some bold new artistic directions. That’s clearly apparent on Age Of Unease, on which McGrath’s plainspoken sadness over what he’s lost over the past two years is contrasted with a buoyant, synth-drenched production approach. In all, a sign of a new beginning.
The Lucky Ones – A Fifth Of You
Release Date: Jan. 28
Label: Independent
Since releasing their self-titled debut album in 2020, Yukon's The Lucky Ones has quickly come to be regarded as one of Canada’s finest roots music ensembles. Their sophomore album Slow Dance, Square Dance, Barn Dance, continues to see their sound evolve on nine new original tunes that showcase the band’s wide-ranging musical chops and true tales of life in the Far North. Recorded over a four-day span, the album and its standout tracks such as A Fifth Of You alternately convey all the atmosphere of an intimate live performance and a raucous night out on the tiles.
