Canadian indie pop sextet Royal Canoe evolved out of the same colossally vibrant Winnipeg, Manitoba music scene that spawned The Waking Eyes, Novillero, Imaginary Cities, The Weakerthans and others. Released earlier this year in the dark days of winter 2019 Waver, the follow up to 2016’s Something Got Lost Between Here And The Orbit, is their fourth full length album since forming in 2010.
Stylistically formatted in a way strikingly similar to the Roxy Music album Manifesto from 1979, Royal Canoe’s 2019 Waver LP sonically inhabits both East and West side in lieu of the conventional Side A/Side B approach. Not unlike the aforementioned Roxy Music album 40 years its senior Waver is a tantalizing mix of art and commerce, managing to bridge the gap between contemporary Top 40 radio and art pop impeccably well (Spin Cycle, the lone exception, would have been better severed on the arty A east side of the album).
In spite of an exceptionally strong start spirited by captivating opening tracks What’s Left In The River, Black Sea and the delightfully catchy blue eyed soul of RAYZ and Peep This, Waver manages to lose its sense of urgency while ambling towards the finish. Resplendent with subtle references to the highly influential Bowie/Eno collabs of the 1970s there are also moments on Waver which bring to mind Richard Barbieri’s pioneering keyboard work for late 70s glam inspired New Romantic act Japan, Rain Tree Crow and Porcupine Tree.
Arty and danceable Waver holds down an uncompromising solid mid tempo groove from start to finish, managing to succeed on its own in its quest to be both relevant and of its time, moving forward looking back.
Rating 7.5/10
Star Rating 3.5/5
2019 Song Of The Day Club 9/52