Quick Hitters:: Balacade

One of the best little DIY labels that almost no one talks about is Victoria’s Old Life Records. I’m already gushed about Colourbook and Almonds, Cohen but up until a week or so ago, I’d never heard of Balacade. Their debut EP - Friends Forever - is a really interesting mix of electronics, weary vocals and Beachouse-y textures and mood.

You fall into the folds of these songs without even noticing and every listen exposes subtle wrinkles that catch your ear and touch on another influence that drives Andrew Reynolds' song writing process. The EP starts with the beautiful distorted, electro folk of (Ghost Car). The harmonies, loops and countless textures mesh perfectly and the lo-fi recording blossoms in front of you like one of those old stock footage, slow motion films. That vibe continues on the washed out, (mostly) instrumental Everything.

It's obvious the duo can craft gentle wave like lo-fi tracks, but what makes this EP work is how they break up the listen at just the right time. After two blissful tracks, they change pace with the crazy, banged out pump organ-ish carnival ready pop of Dead Dog and the distorted notes of an electric, Andrew’s vocals and little else on the surprisingly engaging Partition Magic. This subtle change of pace lets Balacade return to the slow moving textures they do so well, but doesn't leave you feeling like you sat through 20 minutes of the same, lo-fi sounds and you easily settle back into the pleasant mood and tones of Roman Candle and Surf City.

MP3:: Balacade - Ghost Car
WEB:: http://balacade.com
LABEL:: Old Life Records

Labels: Balacade, Canada, Music, Quick Hitters, Vitctoria