Rating: NNNN
Coming from Manitoba is both a blessing and a curse: it’s a great place to hone your craft, but it’s almost impossible to get any outside attention.
Monica Schroeder’s dreamy sounds have inspired a few people along the way, but she should be playing packed houses across the country.
Her latest, an airy, atmospheric record that sounds like Sarah McLachlan jamming with David Gray, might finally make her a household name. While the music is pleasant, to say the least, the lyrics deal with darker themes of loss and longing as only a great record from small-town Manitoba can.
There’s a lot to like here, especially for soft rock radio types, but a few tracks, including the Stars-ish City Lights, could win over the indie set, too.