Canyon
Empty Rooms
Mordam
Canyon play panoramic widescope pop, lovely tracks that drift into subtly thrilling soundscapes while always retaining a sharp and clear focus on carrying the tunes across. And while their arrangements may dip its toes in ’80s adult AOR water, Canyon have more in common with Slowdive than Chris de Burgh – although they do resemble both from time to time.
This diverse album is a loose collection of songs held together by the consistent quality of the songwriting and by Canyon’s ability to sonic experiments within their boundaries of slightly folksy pop and considered Americana. And while there are some emotional, haunting moments on here – such as the fine country of “Head Above” – theirs is mainly a somewhat distant and chilled sound that still brings the attentive listener in, quietly pointing to various details and disturbed elements of the tracks. From the careful and considered “Radio Driver” to the Bob Dylan-ish “10 Good Eyes,” Canyon explores their strummed folk with a broad palette and a barely hidden, mischievous grin.
There are enough great moments on here to intrigue most fans of subtle and complex melodic pop. One senses that they’ll surely come up with something even better in the not-so-distant future, and there are good reasons to keep an eye open for Canyon’s next steps as well.
Mordam Records: http://www.mordamrecords.com
