Mild Mannered Music

SteveK on Sebastien Lefebvre and Said the Whale

Sebastien Lefebvre: You Are Here

Sebastien, or “Seb”, is better known as part of Canadian super-group Simple Plan.  On ‘You Are Here’ Sebastien branches out here into a seven-song acoustic set, very mid-tempo, with little by way of accompanying instruments or any backing vocals.  He does it all here, writing, producing, and playing all the instruments involved in the production.

There’s very little to compare these songs to, in the Simple Plan catalogue; in this respect, Seb succeeds in establishing his own distinct sound.  However, this is a very mild, very tame album.  Gentle, easy-listening folk-pop is the order of the day here; not everyone’s cup of tea, and I expect it may throw more than a few fans just a bit.

Paying homage to his French-Canadian roots, Seb performs one song in both French and English, “La Nouvelle Vie”, which, for those of you who don’t speak the Language of Love, means “The New Life”.  The opening track, “Decoller” (which means “Taking Off”) is an acoustic instrumental that largely sets the mellow, rainy-day vibe of the rest of the album.  Outstanding on this album are the songs “Comatose” and “Good Night” with well-thought lyrics and pleasing music arrangements.  The use of the melodica on the latter song gives a quintessential Old-World / French Canadian allure to the song with all the romantic charm that such elements imply.  The only real teeth-gnasher on the EP is the closer, “The One”, which is just too exceedingly cutsey-pie in its romantic gushing.

Overall this is a good debut for the Simple Plan star’s first solo effort, which demonstrates a certain musical diversity that extends beyond their usual fare.

Sebastien Lefebvre: You Are Hear

WEA

Steve’s Rating: 8/10

Said the Whale: Islands Disappear

“Indie” has become such an overused and over-applied music label as to have become meaninglessly banal.  The fact that anything that can’t be pigeon-holed into a distinct and familiar category is automatically lumped into the “Indie” box certainly adds to this.  “Indie” has replaced “Alternative” as the catch-all for anything the suits can’t properly categorize.

That being said, “Indie” music has also become synonymous with hipster fashion sensibilities, ironic pop culture references and a certain level pompous derision towards anyone or anything that does not conform to the expectations of horn-rimmed bed-haired poseur inteligistas.

This is why it would be a great disservice to the musical talents of Said the Whale to call them an “Indie” band.  Certainly their Folk-Rock style and clever lyrical construction deserves to be expressed as something more than that.  I’m reminded a lot of the early music of the Tragically Hip as I listen to ‘Islands Disappear’, only not quite as melancholy.  The music is soft and mild, avoiding the sort of ham-handed overproduction that mars a lot of debut albums from new artists.

Said the Whale’s debut album is a collection of 13 songs about their experiences travelling across Canada, while on tour.  The songs are eclectic and vary in tone and theme, creating a rich musical tapestry that almost qualifies as a concept album.

The best songs on this album are “Black Day in December”, “Out On the Shield” and “Emerald Lake, AB”.  These songs all highlight the musical whimsy and clever lyrics that make Said the Whale as distinct and distinguished as they are.

All in all this is a great Canadian talent, one which deserves to be given a spotlight and a much wider audience, and I truly recommend them to you.

Said the Whale: Islands Disappear

Hidden Pony

Steve’s Rating: 8.5/10