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a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Dan Bejar, the cryptic musician behind Destroyer, talks lyricism

by Eric Noble-Marks on

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In the wake of yet another critically acclaimed, lyrically daring, commercial left turn, people are beginning to truly obsess over Destroyer. The frontman of the Canadian indie-rock band, Dan Bejar, still doesn’t seem to get what all the fuss is about.

“It’s all stuff I’ve mined before, it’s like an era and feeling that comes very natural,” Bejar explained. “In many ways Poision Season is everything I like thrown at one canvas [….] I bet anyone who’s made 10 records have their [sound] all over the place…I like all sorts of different things.”

Despite his nonchalance, Poison Season is far from a typical Destroyer record, much less a typical record at all. Working closely with string arranger Stefan Buell, Bejar’s newest record is equal parts Young Americans-era plastic soul and chamber music. In many ways, it’s Destroyer’s darkest album yet, despite a few moments of pop bliss.

“Stefan’s arrangements were kind of eye openers,” Bejar said.”Sometimes they were in deep contrast to what I initially felt was the natural setting of the song. I was also expecting a world that was very alien to what I knew and I was right about that.”

Destroyer is currently in the midst of a North American tour, touching down at Montreal’s Fairmount theatre on Oct. 1. In contrast to solo acoustic shows that he’s played in the past, Bejar is once again touring with a full band.

“There’s challenges when it’s me, by myself, finding arrangements for very simple guitar and voice for songs that weren’t recorded or imagined that way,” he explained. “What we’re doing on this tour is not that different from when we went into the studio.”

In addition to Destroyer, Bejar is also a longtime member of Canadian indie-rock royalty The New Pornographers, contributing three songs to their most recent album, Brill Bruisers (2014).

On the topic of his trademark songwriting for Destroyer, however, Bejar was typically cryptic.

“I think it changes,” he said. “It’s always a collaboration musically. I think maybe [lyric writing] has changed subconsciously to match my current way of singing, but I don’t really sit down and think about it. It’s just a little mist that I happen to walk through [.…] When the real work is to be done, I sit down and find a chord structure so I can show it to the band. At that point the work is about 2 per cent done.”

 

SSMU McGill
a, News, SSMU

SSMU VP Internal Lola Baraldi has resigned, citing personal reasons

by Shrinkhala Dawadi on

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Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) Internal Lola Baraldi resigned from her position last Thursday. Kareem Ibrahim, SSMU president, elaborated on Baraldi’s resignation.

“[Baraldi is] resigning due to personal reasons,” Ibrahim said. “It definitely brings us great sadness to see her leave. She’s been a great member of the team. ”

According to Ibrahim, Baraldi’s portfolio will be delegated among the remaining SSMU executives as well as permanent staff.

“The large majority of the VP Internal’s tasks are going to be delegated to the VP External, Emily Boytinck, and the VP University Affairs, Chloe Rourke.” Ibrahim said. “This includes 4Floors, and the Francophone Affairs [Committee] going to [Boytinck]. The yearbook fee, the website overhaul, and the student engagement committee going to [Rourke]. We also hope to consult the […] primary staff of the VP Internal regarding what they would like in terms of increased resources and support, be that an additional staff member or increased hours.”

Other tasks, such as management of the SSMU listserv and social media accounts, as well as chairing the Student Engagement Committee, will be delegated to Kimber Bialik, VP Clubs and Services.  

Baraldi’s resignation comes two months after the resignation of former General Manager Jennifer Varkonyi​, who resigned in August, also due to personal circumstances. Ibrahim spoke to the increased workload that SSMU employees face in light of these personnel changes.

“The delegation of the responsibilities from these two roles is evidently going to pose a great challenge to the executives,” Ibrahim said. “We had come into this year very ambitious, very keen, with a lot of ideas […] and a lot of those projects are going to evidently fall to the backburner […] because we’re going to be hiring and training a new general manager [and] we’re also dealing with the loss of an executive.”

Ibrahim continued to highlight certain aspects of his portfolio that will be affected by the resignations.

“I wanted to implement an employment equity policy at SSMU, […] implement an opt-in consultation listserv, [and…]work with the VP [University Affairs] on some equity programming,” Ibrahim said. “I personally will be doing my best to plan in advance and delegate, so a lot of the ideas I have can actually be realized this year [….] We’re definitely doing all the contingency planning available to make sure our team is supported, and our output to students remains consistent.”

Ibrahim stressed that SSMU will continue to prioritize certain projects such as the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with McGill and the SSMU Daycare Centre, which hasn’t had a director for six months.

“MoA negotiations [with McGill] are beginning this year and that’s not something that we can ignore,” he said. “Lease negotiations for the SSMU daycare centre are beginning this year [….] In terms of the executive team as a whole, other priorities include ensuring that our […] student-run cafeteria continues to run efficiently.”

Going forward, SSMU will continue to face personnel challenges.

“Our building director is going to be leaving on paternity leave soon, any time this week […] until January,” Ibrahim said. “That will involve delegation of tasks as well—giving more responsibilities to our food and beverage director and our security manager.”

Tasks that used to fall under the job description of the general manager will be delegated to SSMU executives until a new general manager is hired.  Among these are staff managment, building operations, human resources, and the daycare. 

The comptroller, will serve as Interim Finance Officer advising SSMU executives in financial matters, such as budgeting. 

 Ibrahim stressed that SSMU would continue to consult with students during these transition periods.

“We hope that the typical roadblocks that our team would face during the year due to poor communications with the student body […] can be minimized through consistent contact and good consultation so that we can really just focus on the challenges we have at hand,” Ibrahim explained.

SSMU Legislative Council called a by-election on Thursday  evening to fill the position. The new VP Internal will be in office from Jan. 1 to May 31, 2016.

bobs burgers
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Fall 2015 TV Preview

by April Barrett, Steffen Engling, & Christopher Lutes on

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The Muppets

In The Muppets Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the rest of the gang return to the screen in a more adult-targeted comedy. The show follows the ‘real’ version of The Muppets behind the scenes a of a talk show. Conservative groups in the U.S. have already called for a boycott against the new show. One Million Moms advised everybody to avoid the “new, perverted nature” of the program. Based on these statements the new Muppets promises to be quite entertaining. The audience seems to think the same; the show premiered with solid ratings, fulfilling everyones dreams of finally hearing Kermit crack those dirty jokes.

Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. on ABC

Quantico

Quantico, named after the site of the FBI’s training academy in Virginia, follows a group of trainees who have just joined the Bureau. As the group helps uncover the background of a disastrous terror attack, they have to rely on everything they have learned in their training to prevent a future disaster. The show cleverly integrates cutbacks and training exercises with the story of an ongoing investigation. The plot revolves around recent graduate Alex, played by Priyanka Chopra, who previously enjoyed massive success in India’s Bollywood industry. Overall, the show looks to be a solid crime series.

Sundays at 10:00 p.m.on ABC

Fargo

For the second season of Fargo, viewers will be treated to an entirely new storyline. While the show is still set in the American Midwest, the new season takes place in 1979. Looking at a younger version of the law-abiding patriarch played by David Carradine in the first season, Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson) has just returned from Vietnam and is now in charge of solving murders committed by the local mob. On top of that, Solverson will also be responsible for the protection of Republican Presidential hopeful Ronald Reagan, who visits the town on the campaign trail. Most importantly, the show is still written by Noah Hawley and the Coen Brothers are still executive producers, so there should be no reason for season two not to gain the critical and popular acclaim of its predecessor.

Returns to FX on Oct. 12

Scream Queens

Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, co-creators of Glee and American Horror Story, are back at it again this fall with Scream Queens—a college campus horror-comedy that focuses on a cult-like sorority and the murderous shenanigans they always seem to get themselves in. Half blood bath and half satire,Scream Queens is bolstered by a cast of familiar faces: Jamie Lee Curtis as the cynical dean of students, Emma Roberts as sorority dictator, and a host of others including Ariana Grande, Keke Palmer, Lea Michele, and Nick Jonas. Scream Queens promises to be a typical Ryan Murphy creation: A coming of age story that is equal parts bizarre, gruesome, and ridiculous.
Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. on FOX

Bob’s Burgers

Emmy award-winning Bob’s Burgers is back for its sixth season this fall. The show picks up again with the beloved Belcher family—Bob, Linda, Tina, Gene, and Louise—running their burger joint despite a continual series of mishaps. This season, viewers can expect such incidents as Tina riding a horse for the first time, Bob getting glued to a toilet, and Gene leading a hunt for a two-butted goat. Ranked by TV Guide as one of the top 60 cartoons of all time, Bob’s Burgers continues to set itself apart for a winning combination of hilarity and good nature.
Sundays at 7:30 p.m. on FOX

Master of None

Comedian Aziz Ansari is on top of the world right now. In a year that has already seen him release a bestselling book and a stand-up special to a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden, he continues to rise by creating and starring in a new series on Netflix. /Master of None/ combines the theme of his book—romance in the modern world—with a fictionalized account of his earlier life as a struggling actor in New York City. While that may sound like the least original premise in television history, Ansari has always had an interesting take on well-worn material, looking at familiar subject matter from an outsider’s perspective.
The entire first season is on Netflix

Flesh & Bone

This new miniseries looks at the gritty underbelly of the modern competitive ballet scene. Shot on location in New York City, the show is visually stunning, with gorgeous Manhattan rooftop shots and highly kinetic filmmaking in dance segments. The fact that it’s only eight episodes means it will be able to tell a self-contained story without having to cater to audience ratings across multiple seasons. Under the direction of Moira Walley-Beckett, former producer and writer of Breaking Bad, the show looks to be more Black Swan (2010) than Swan Lake.
Premieres Nov. 8 on Starz

Nathan For You

One of the most intensely bizarre shows in television history, Nathan for You is a mash-up of an uncomfortably intimate character study and reality show. It follows Canadian comedian Nathan Fielder as he tries to help small businesses with off-the-wall ideas. For instance, an attempt to help a failing coffee shop spiraled into the" Dumb Starbucks" phenomenon. What elevates the show, however, is how Fielder himself deals with these experiences, presenting a version of himself that is hilariously desperate to make some kind of human connection, no matter how artificial it may be. This arc lends a connective thread to otherwise unrelated events, and creates a legitimate sense of pathos in this otherwise silly comedy.
Returns to Comedy Central Oct. 15

The Leftovers

Taking place in a world where two per cent of the world’s population suddenly vanishes without explanation, The Leftovers was one of the best shows on TV last year, using its premise as a conduit to meditate on faith, family, and loss. Entering its second season, the series transports the bulk of its main cast to Miracle, Texas, a fictional town that didn’t lose a single citizen in the ‘departure.’ This seems like fertile thematic ground, where the emotionally damaged main cast can be juxtaposed with a group of relatively normal people.
Returns to HBO Oct. 4

Jane the Virgin

Following an insanely confident first season, Jane the Virgin returns for a second round with a lot of expectations to live up to. The show, which follows a young woman who accidentally gets artificially inseminated, was somehow able to maintain a breakneck pace across 22 hour-long episodes. On top of that, it was able to deftly blend broad telenovela-esque plot elements: Secret twins! Insane coincidences! Long-lost relatives! With low-key character moments that kept the show emotionally grounded, no matter how ridiculous the plot could get in a given week.
Returns to CW Oct. 12

Chvrches Every Open Eye
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Every open eye – Chvrches

by Ian Rodgers on

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CHVRCHES’ new album Every Open Eye shows them trying to find balance on a tightrope between pop and alternative. At their best, they create pop anthems that are sincere to their core and have a unique sound. At their worst, their tracks drag on and fail to hit any kind of sweet spot acoustically. The album begins strongly with “Neverending Circles,” launching the listener into the album with a crunchy synth noise reminiscent of some of the best on The Mother We Share (2012). “Make Them Gold” is inspirational and defiant, with lead singer Lauren Mayberry proclaiming, “We are made of our longest days,” and shows that the adversity she faced personally has only made her stronger.

The album only begins going downhill when it slows down on the back half. “High Enough to Carry You Over” is not only a boring ballad, but one that inexplicably removes the band’s greatest strength—Mayberry’s voice. The male members of this band simply don’t have the talent to carry on without her voice leading the way. The lyrics are trite and the music is generic, the whole track just feels like filler material. “Empty Threat” gets the album back on track, but there’s a feeling that it has already lost its momentum and started to drag, with the songs lingering 10 to 20 seconds too long.

At 42 minutes, the album is relatively short, but drags on unnecessarily. “Down Side of Me” is an interesting song, but tries to incorporate too much and dedicates a lot of time to stripped-down verses with a beat that sounds ripped from GarageBand. Overall, the main problem with the album is that it doesn’t seem to hit the massive highs of The Bones of What You Believe. That album had some absolutely fabulous breakdowns, usually with the help of sampled vocals to give things an organic feeling, something this album lacks for the most part. It feels like CHVRCHES has attempted to make their music more friendly to a pop audience, but in the process, they have lost track of their strengths.

There are enough good singles on this album that seem to indicate success, and will play well live, but it lacks an overall sense of immediacy. In a year which has seen several releases from comparable synth-pop bands, (Braids and Purity Ring come to mind), CHVRCHES don’t put forward something that competes. Overall, this is an album which will please fans, but isn’t likely to make the band stand out in the independent scene.

Baio The Names
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: The Names – Baio

by Jennifer Chan on

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Chris Baio, known for playing bass for Vampire Weekend, has taken a step out on his own, producing a studio album that has been five years in the making. Released under his DJ name, Baio, this is his first full-length album following his two EP’s Sunburn (2012) and Mira (2013). He recently moved from Vampire Weekend’s native New York to London and this experience has had a clear influence on his sound and themes of the album. “I came to in a city still indifferent to me / The big sky can humble, it’s too high to see” is an embodiment of these emotions from his track “Endless Rhythm.” The album opener, “Brainwash yyrr Face,” combines beat riffs and synth layers, which create an extremely relaxed experience while building anticipation for the rest of the album. “The Names” and “Needs” are both faintly reminiscent of Vampire Weekend; however, by the time it comes round to “All the Idiots,” the mood shifts from bright melodies to an infiltrating techscape with hard-hitting, undulating drum tracks. This makes the later track, “Endless Rhythm,” a fresh break from the rest of the album, with its main melody being played on a piano compared to the heavy synth of other tracks. The album ends with the instrumental “Scarlett,” which has an undertone of melancholy covered by a steady harpsichord melody that gives the song a sense of hope. It’s the sort of song that will probably be heard in the next indie teen self-discovery movie.

The one misstep is that the two songs—“Sister of Pearl” and “Endless Rhythm,” which were released over the summer—raised the expectations for the album. Compared to these two singles, the rest of the album lacks a sense of vibrancy;however, the album altogether is cohesive and its beat versatility makes it one to dance, run, or study to. The compilation creates a glacial landscape that would have been the album of the summer had it been released two months earlier.

The Names exhibits Baio’s musical capabilities and personality. His talent is also displayed considering that Baio produced the album himself with help from only a few friends. Baio just delivers to the expectations that stem from his Vampire Weekend connection and he branches off from that by distinguishing himself as his own artist, with his own unique sound.

Disclosure Caracal
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review : Caracal – Disclosure

by Maxime Scraire on

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Three years ago, house-pop duo Disclosure took the reins of the U.K. house revival movement by dropping the one-two punch of singles “Latch” and “White Noise.” Their major-label debut, Settle, ended up being nothing less than a feature-studded masterpiece that redefined dance music. By mixing both past and present Disclosure launched a trend that hit its stride last year overseas, and is currently still gaining momentum on U.S. charts.

“You hear house music on the radio all the time now and that’s great, I’m glad the record helped to bring that forward,” older sibling Guy Lawrence told Buzzfeed this summer during the promo tour for their new LP, Caracal. “But now that’s done, let’s try something else.”

Such declaration may come as a shock to fans, but truth is, Disclosure is no more a house duo than Kanye West is purely a hip-hop artist. Each uses their respective genre as a means to achieve what they’re really interested in: Pop music. And on Caracal, the group’s pop ambitions are less diluted than ever.

Their latest album works as a succession of perfectly crafted dance-pop gems with a touch of soul and R&B. The songs are much more conventionally built this time around to assure accessibility and mainstream success, but the multilayered and slightly left-field production makes sure to generously reward multiple listens. Even with the aforementioned changes, Disclosure’s imprint remains omnipresent throughout, thanks to their characteristic drum pad configurations, ’90s-reminiscing reverbed synths, and bouncy bass lines.

Highlights include “Magnets,” featuring Lorde, with its hypnotic, barely-holding-onto-anything verses that explode in the catchiest chorus the singer has ever written. “Good Intentions,” a dancey reimagination of what made Miguel’s Wildheart a modern R&B classic, and “Hourglass,” a diva-making turn for neo-soul band Lion Babe with a bridge that’ll make clubs jump for the year to come; however, Caracal is so packed with hits that it’s barely impossible to tell which tracks will receive the ‘single’ treatment, if it doesn’t end up simply being all of them.

Ultimately though, what Caracal lacks is the same sense of general excitement its predecessor was dripping with. Nothing here is as revelatory as “Latch” was when it was first released, and the record as a whole isn’t trying to launch any kind of new movement. The result is the sound of two visionary pop-masterminds slowing their pace to evaluate their options, challenging themselves to try new directions in order to come back so far ahead of the mass, catching up with them won’t even be an option.

Flux Pavilion Tesla
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Tesla – Flux Pavilion

by Tameer Ahmed on

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Joshua Steele, known on stage as Flux Pavilion, is one of the pioneers of modern bass music. His tracks have paved the way for artists to thrive in the realm of electronic music today. Even Kanye West and Jay-Z sampled Steele’s iconic track “I Can’t Stop” in their song “Who Gon Stop Me.” With his debut album, Tesla, released on his own label, Circus Records, the British EDM artist said he wanted to “concentrate on what Flux is” in an interview with YourEDM;however, there is no hint as to what that effort yielded.

In the buildup to the release, fans were either pining for songs with typical Flux Pavilion flavour or for a whole new sound. In an attempt to appease both crowds, Tesla landed somewhere in the between with safe, generic sounds. Certain tracks on the album take steps forwards, but they are few and far between in a mess of mediocrity. Despite the quality of the collaborations, the vocal talent was not able to save the album from being a forgettable clash of sounds, for the most part. Nevertheless, Tesla is not a poor album; it is simply underwhelming considering the reputation that the artist has gained the past few years in the EDM community.

By far, the vocals are the highlight of the album, with singers such as Matthew Koma, Tom Cane, and BullySongs being especially remarkable. The tracks, despite being full of energy, end up being nothing more than sounds we have previously heard. “International Anthem” is simply a rehash of any previous track written by Steele. A blatant, albeit excellent imitation of new electronic music stars ODESZA is seen in “Emotional.” The standout track of the album comes at the very end in the form of the heartfelt ballad “Ironheart.” Unfortunately, by the time the 12th track comes up, it is hard to care about an album that remained underwhelming until then.

More was definitely expected from the debut album of a bass music icon such as Flux Pavilion, but sadly, there wasn’t much more than a flavor-of-the-week offering. Tesla, inspired by the physicist of the same name, fails to live up to his name by being nothing more than formulaic and unimaginative.

Travis Scott Rodeo
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Rodeo – Travis Scott

by Will Burgess on

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Texas-born rapper Travis Scott has been cultivating hype for his debut LP for more than a year now. His earlier mixtape, Days Before Rodeo (2014), showcased a 12-track warm-up with a title that promised that this was only the beginning, which only makes the hit-or-miss main event Rodeo somewhat of a disappointment.

Days was arguably one of the best mixtapes released last year, an ambitious and original enterprise that justified Scott’s seat in XXL magazine’s list of the best up-and-coming rappers of the year, a mantle further justified by a production deal with Kanye West’s GOOD Music label. Rodeo is ambitious in a few ways; the album incorporates an impressive array of producers and featured artists, including Future, Kanye West, and even Justin Bieber. Still, it lacks the upward vision and momentum of its predecessor.

The intro track, “Pornography,” sets the scene for an album that centres on the ups and downs of a lifestyle of excess that protagonists Scott is never in fully in control of. Unfortunately, this celebrated sloppiness extends to the actual production of the album itself, which contains filler tracks and corny lines alongside occasional moments of brilliance. The buzzy hook, “I be flying high” on “Flying High,”makes the track irritatingly unlistenable despite feature artist Toro y Moi’s refreshingly melodic verses. “Piss On Your Grave,” featuring Kanye West, is jarringly aggressive in the midst of the melancholy and introspection of the other tracks.

It’s telling that of the best two tracks from the debut—previously-released bangers “3500” and “Antidote”—one was never meant to be included. A symptom of the scattered assembly of tracks that fail to give Rodeo any real cohesion, resulting in a dismal display for a debut album.

Future and Drake
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: What a time to be alive – Drake & Future

by Alfie Crooks on

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Drake and Future are two established hip-hop artists who have had massively successful years. Both released critically acclaimed albums earlier this year, with Drake cementing his position in the upper echelon of rap with his platinum album If You’re Reading This it’s Too Late. Both artists also provide a similar mixture of sentimentality and grit, which is what makes the release of their first collaboration, What A Time To Be Alive so exciting.

Before the album was released, there were rumors that the 11-song project was produced in only six days, and after listening to the finished product it’s not hard to believe. While there are very interesting and exciting pieces to this mixtape, none of it is particularly cohesive. The tracks often feel awkward and unseemly, as if they were created separately and forced together with Gorilla Glue. Furthermore, from an artistic standpoint, the project lacks any sort of conceptual arc as the common themes of codeine and strippers become somewhat tiresome and unoriginal towards the seventh or eighth track. Listening to the album in its entirety becomes a tedious task as a lack of artistic development and cohesion between Future and Drake often hampers the listening experience.

Despite this, there are moments on this album where things get fun. At their collective best, Drake and Future can make really captivating music. The album reaches it peak when catchy hooks meet with gritty beats to top off Drake’s sentimentally melodic riffs, which perfectly complement Future’s syrup-thick voice. “Scholarships,” “Change Locations,” and the highlight of the album, “Diamond’s Dancing” all follow this formula. While their lyrics don’t go any deeper than grandiose boasts and opioid infused strip club visits, nothing is lost either.

From a lyrical standpoint, the album isn’t very impressive with “30 for 30 Freestyle” functioning as the only song that does justice to Drake’s lyrical ability. But this album isn’t supposed to be a cerebral, well-thought-out artistic piece. If that was the mixtape’s intention, it wouldn’t have been produced in six days. Instead, it works as a project that emphasizes fun over all else.

What A Time To Be Alive frankly pales in artistic comparison to either artist’s solo work. With such an intentionally rushed production, the piece becomes fun and fleeting rather than deep and meaningful. The album doesn’t make you think, but it will make you want to dance.

Man of the City Reno McCarthy
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Man of the City – Reno McCarthy

by Alex Scheer on

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When you retrospectively listen to the unpolished early material of a band that has since progressed and evolved, it’s clear that there is an unrealized potential in the sound and a foreshadowing of what’s to come. Some bands never get any better, or fall apart before they have the chance. Man of the City, the sophomore EP from U.K.-born, Montreal-based musician Reno McCarthy, manages to showcase a heightened level of expertise unseen in his earlier work. But while McCarthy has an earnestness about him and is clearly skilled as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, his EP ultimately suffers from its creator’s lack of experience.

The sound is deeply rooted in the ‘70s. Synths, upbeat guitar, and bass lines reveal strong disco and dance-rock influences. So strong, in fact, that McCarthy fails to establish a sound of his own. The music isn’t bad, necessarily; on the contrary, McCarthy has a knack for creating a groove and writing solid harmonies. It is, however, riddled with sonic and lyrical clichés.

The title track establishes the Man of the City’s mood: It’s cheesy, but danceable. Grandiose vocals, backbeat rhythms, and groovy bass lines evoke a ‘strutti’ down the sidewalk’ sort of feeling, but it somehow lacks a certain ‘cool factor,’ as if McCarthy is trying too hard. The pulsating groove between verses in “Just About to Get Happy,” however, is a striking example of the few moments of brilliance and creativity throughout. These moments shine a light on the potential of this young musician, as well as the obvious skill of his accompanying musicians. The instrumental parts throughout manage to remain catchy and poppy while being relatively complex. A jazzy trombone solo in the middle of “They’re at It Again” provides a welcome break from the dance-y repetition, but soon it’s back to the disco grind. Closing track, “So,” finally breaks from the mould thanks to a strong melody and more diverse qualities: a sound reminiscent of U2, and a groove reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.”

The production could be worse, but it also could be a lot better. The dynamic range and balance between each instrument and the vocals are respectable, but the recorded sound of the instruments lacks harmonic depth, almost as if they’re computer-generated, which takes some of the music’s soul away. Lyrically, Man of the City is less than cohesive. As with other aspects of the EP, cliché abounds (“Hey sister say sister! (It’s the revolution)”) and lines are often awkward just for the sake of rhyming. It seems, though, that the words are more intended to go with the flow of the music and evoke mood than to make any statement on their own.

Man of the City isn’t the strongest EP to be released this year,, but it’s reflective of a young musician finding his way. It’s unoriginal and cheesy, but there’s an eagerness and an underlying talent here that hint at good things to come for Reno McCarthy.

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