Oh Look! Canada again! The co-founder of The Actual Goners, Toronto's Tristan Armstrong offers up his solo album and it is terrific. If you listened to the opening title track on the LTTW, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this is an album of great Power Pop, but it is much more than that.
That song sounds like Chris Isaak fronting a crack Guitar Pop band produced by Jeff Lynne. The Power Pop doesn't stop there with the maybe even better, Queen Of Diamonds built on chunky guitar and On The Run is superb Jangled Pop.
Yet elsewhere, there is a real similarity to Bird Streets, a particular favourite amongst out followers. This is particularly relevant on both Periscope and Sing In Your Sleep. Yet The Lender sounds more West Coast, jaunty Americana even, it fair jaunts along.
There is also a Country feel to the likes of Would You Take An IOU and Gimme A Sign courtesy of some wonderful Pedal Steel. The former closes the album with a meandering melancholic splendidness.The latter even flirts a little with 80s AOR, a little Don Henley maybe?
Armstrong's vocal helps the variety, there's a really engaging twang to his vocal at times. The album is beautifully produced and arranged allowing the songs to breathe, allowing space as much as melody. I can see this album being a real winner amongst followers here. The Riff count is also high, just as we like.
You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl or as a download.
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