Predicting Polaris: Picking Canada's Best Album

Source: By Tabassum Siddiqui, AOL.ca

Posted: 09/26/08 4:13PM

Filed Under: Music

With ten great records vying for the third annual Polaris Prize—honouring the best Canadian album of the past year—we take a look at the merits of each and their chances for nabbing the $20,000 prize when the winner is decided by a grand jury of 11 (including our own AOL Music Canada editor Joshua Ostroff) at a gala at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre on Sept. 29.

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Polaris Prize Shortlist

London, Ontario singer/songwriter Basia Bulat’s debut offering made many music lovers sit up and take notice of her dulcet voice and wistful songs. That the album even came out and has garnered acclaim far and wide is fortuitous enough—during the initial recording sessions, Bulat developed nodes on her vocal chords that called a halt to the project. When she recovered, she kept the first takes of those sessions with Arcade Fire's producer and featuring a band comprised of her university pals. It’s a burnished vintage locket of a record, all sepia-toned romanticism and orchestral arrangements. Debut rarely win major prizes, but it’s worth noting that Bulat is a critics’ darling—and the award hasn’t yet gone to a female.

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Basia Bulat Oh, My Darling (Hardwood Records)

London, Ontario singer/songwriter Basia Bulat’s first musical offering made many music lovers sit up and take notice of her dulcet voice and wistful songs. That the album even came out and has garnered acclaim far and wide is fortuitous enough—during the initial recording sessions, Bulat developed nodes on her vocal chords that called a halt to the project. When she recovered, she decided to keep the first takes of that first session, which was recorded with Arcade Fire producer Howard Bilerman and featured a band made up of her university pals. It’s a burnished vintage locket of a record, all sepia-toned romanticism and orchestral arrangements. While it would be rare for a debut to win such a major prize, it’s worth noting that Bulat is a critics’ darling—plus the award hasn’t yet gone to a female artist.

What she’d do with the prize money if she won: Bulat says she’d split it with her band.

Black Mountain In the Future (Scratch Records)

Stoner rock never goes out of style. That’s not a dig at Vancouver quintet Black Mountain, but rather an awed respect. They’re loud and proud and psychedelic, and while In the Future doesn’t quite live up to their self-titled 2005 debut, it certainly differentiates itself from the indie-rock pack with its epic-length tunes (“Bright Lights” stretches out to the 16-minute mark!), dominating guitar solos, and vocalist Amber Wells’ distinctive wails. Prog-metal riffs meet ’70s synths, but Black Mountain's not so much after retro revivalism as a new take on some old sounds. Unlikely to be anyone’s consensus favourite for the Polaris, a win would—in true Black Mountain fashion—definitely shake things up.

What they’d do with the prize money if they won: According to oh-so-succinct frontman Stephen McBean: “Dinner.”

Caribou Andorra (Merge)

You never know what Dan Snaith is going to do next. With each album, the Dundas, Ontario electro-pop wizard has shape-shifted his musical personality to reflect where he’s at artistically at the time. That constant playing around with expectations could be maddening (some of us still miss the achingly lovely downtempo sound of his earliest releases), but Snaith forces listeners to take in his sonic excursions with completely open ears, a rarity in the often safe and predictable world of pop music. While Caribou is certainly playing around with pop conventions—from the sunny, melodic textures of opening track “Melody Day” to the reverb-drenched ’60s-style vocal harmonies that ricochet all over the record—he’s doing so completely on his own terms, blending a distinctive mix from his vast array of influences. While many may have forgotten about this album since it came out over a year ago, Polaris jurors may very well find it one of the strongest, most cohesive of the nominees.

What he’d do with the prize money if he won: “I haven't really given it much thought, but today I considered the fact that space tourism is expected to cost in the neighbourhood of $20,000 in a few years. So maybe I would hang on to it until such time as I could blast off,” Snaith quips.

Kathleen Edwards Asking For Flowers (MapleMusic)

Edwards fits squarely into the Canadian tradition of producing excellent singer-songwriters who trade in narrative-based songcraft, with as much emphasis on wordplay as melody. She continues to hone her alt-country sound and deft storytelling on her third full-length, which features her strong, emotive vocals and husband Colin Cripps’ distinctive guitar work. Produced by Jim Scott (Whiskeytown), the album features a lusher, fuller sound (complete with strings arranged by Canuck cellist extraordinaire Kevin Fox). Amidst the usual lovelorn misadventures, Edwards tries her hand at the political: “Oh Canada” is an indictment of media coverage of crime, while “Alicia Ross” imagines the life of the murdered Ontario woman in the first person. Though a fine piece of work, it’s debatable whether this is Edwards’ best album to date, and hard to argue it’s the best of the Polaris bunch.

Holy F*ck LP (XL)

Few band names prove nearly as attention-grabbing as their music, but when you decide to go with an expletive as your handle, well, your sound better live up to it. Toronto quintet Holy Fck have no problem doing just that, though given that the band itself developed as a group playing improvised instrumental jams, exactly what form their second album would take seemed like a big question mark. Wanting to make modern electronic music without all the usual technological trappings of that genre, the band, led by the multi-talented Brian Borcherdt, has developed their own unique, organic take on electro, piecing together their layered sound with live instrumentation instead of the requisite samplers and computerized programming. The result is a hypnotic blend of electro, dub, pop, and rock—a melange that’s nothing if not timely in an era when musical genres are becoming increasingly meaningless. Given that Holy Fck’s sound offers enough to appeal to all tastes, plus the fact that they were name-dropped by the Conservative government during its recent round of arts cuts, the Polaris jurors may very well find themselves tempted to exclaim their name with gusto during the final vote.

What they’d do with the prize money if they won: Bassist Matt McQuaid: “Invest it in the stock market.” Founder Brian Borcherdt: “Fund the arts… our own arts!”

Plants and Animals Parc Avenue (Secret City)

Possibly the most complex album of the bunch, Montreal trio Plants and Animals’ debut full-length was years in the making—the band has existed since 2000. It’s an ambitious melange of an album, skipping from prog-rock to piano-plinked pop to an almost Afrobeat vibe on the effervescent “Guru.” Strings sweep along courtesy of Arcade Fire violinist Sarah Neufeld, horn sections punctuate the open spaces, and choirs tackle the gang choruses. It can all come across as unfocused, but strong production and arrangements keep things from veering off track. There’s been lots of buzz over this album as a leading contender for the prize, but jurors may take into consideration that their label, Montreal indie Secret City, is also home to last year’s winner, Patrick Watson. Still, few would be surprised should the group nab the glory—and the $20,000.

What they’d do with the prize money if they won: Quoth the band, in all seriousness: “Turn [Montreal’s] Parc Avenue into a river with gold fish and diamond-studded swans.”

Shad The Old Prince (Black Box)

It’s been awhile since Canadian hip-hop heads have rallied around a new homegrown artist, but Kenya-born, London, Ontario-raised MC Shadrach Kabango has been making fans wherever he goes with his intelligent, conscious rhymes and smooth flow. Rapping about sheepishly living at home and being a penny-pinching student, Shad addresses the personal and the political on his debut, which also features him playing piano, guitar, drums, and bass. It’s a virtuoso effort that’s by turns exceedingly brash and astonishingly humble. Shad’s new video for “The Old Prince Lives at Home,” which cleverly re-enacts the old-skool stylings of ’90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has gone viral lately, which hopefully will continue to spread the word about this unique new talent. But thus far, no hip-hop album has won the Polaris.

What he’d do with the prize money if he won: “Pay for school, and buy a hoodie,” Shad says, adding, “I dunno. I've never had that much money!”

Stars In Our Bedroom After the War (Arts & Crafts)

The indie-rock realm’s favourite hopeless romantics, Toronto/Montreal quintet Stars delivered yet another salvo of perfect pop with their fourth full-length, packed full of bruised ballads and heart-on-sleeve epics tinged with melancholy and flourishes of brass. It’s the stuff of high drama—from the slinky “The Night Starts Here” to the theatrical title track—which may not appeal to everyone, but in constantly refining their signature melodic, sentimental sound, Stars continue to attract new devotees with each new album. Singer Torquil Campbell’s on record as saying he thinks the band is the “Susan Lucci of Polaris,” and he’s probably right—few think Bedroom will walk away with the prize—but seeing as the band doesn’t always get the credit it deserves, perhaps this is a case of “it’s just an honour to be nominated.”

What they’d do with the prize money if they won: Campbell has said he thinks many of the other bands on the list could probably use the funds more.

Two Hours Traffic Little Jabs (Bumstead)

Prince Edward Island isn’t exactly known for indie-rock—at least, not until now. Two EPs and a pair of full-lengths later, Charlottetown, P.E.I. quartet Two Hours Traffic is winning over both fans and critics with their spunky, summery sound. Produced by Halifax guitar hero Joel Plaskett, Little Jabs is chock-full of hooky gems like MuchMusic fave “Stuck for the Summer,” and road-trip anthem “Backseat Sweetheart,” which took home a Bucky Award from CBC Radio 3 last year. Though they’ve had some buzz as a potential Polaris dark horse, it’s not like the band is wanting for recognition—Little Jabs won the 2007 East Coast Music Award for best pop album, stayed on the top-20 national college chart for ten straight weeks, hit #1 on CBC Radio 3, and songs from the album appeared in TV shows like Gossip Girl and Smallville. Not bad for a bunch of former chemistry students.

What they’d do with the prize money if they won: “We would return to our elementary school and offer to fund their mid-week Hot Dog Day for the next 15 years,” the lads say.

The Weakerthans Reunion Tour (Epitaph)

Winnipeg’s finest certainly took their sweet time making the follow-up to 2003’s well-received Reconstruction Site, but it was worth the wait, as their latest album continues to mine their knack for hooky, cerebral pop that’s anchored by frontman John K. Sampson’s evocative lyrics and intricate melodies. According to the band, the album almost didn’t happen at all—though many of the songs had been in development for years, Sampson was hit by a bad case of writer’s block and wasn’t able to finish the lyrics until the band decided to hit the studio. Reunion Tour continues to remind listeners of why the band remains one of the most uniquely Canadian—and just plain unique—groups we’ve got, from the nod to curling in “Tournament of Hearts” to the homage to painter Edward Hopper in “Night Windows.” Though they haven't been tipped as a Polaris frontrunner, that's probably okay by them—the band just won the $25,000 artist of the year prize at the Verge Awards, and “Night Windows” is up for SOCAN’s $5,000 Echo Prize.

What they’d do with the prize money if they won: “If we win, we will be taking the band and our staff on a bonding and trust-building white-water rafting trip down the Zambezi River in Africa,” says guitarist Stephen Carroll.

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