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Album reviews Music

Charles Spearin

Rating: NNNN


One of the more memorable and odd moments at the Broken Social Scene homecoming shows a few months back came when Charles Spearin gave us a peek at an experiment called The Happiness Project. He recorded interviews with his Toronto neighbours on the subject of happiness, then arranged instruments to mimic and harmonize with the unintentional melodies hidden in the spoken words.

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The results have something in common with the outer edges of jazz, but are marked by a playfulness you rarely hear in the avant-garde. In some cases he lets the interplay between the voices and instruments stand on its own, but in most he takes a fragment and then develops it into a dreamy, pleasantly meandering jam.

Those familiar with his work in BSS and Do Make Say Think will hear some connections to their back catalogues, but this disc lives very much in its own idiosyncratic universe and should put a smile on even the most jaded faces.

Top track: Mrs. Morris

Spearin performs March 11 and 12 at the Music Gallery.

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