Rating: NNN
It’s easy to lose yourself in Doomsquad’s cosmic creations. Several songs on this debut album blend into one another seamlessly. And often wordlessly. The Toronto- and Montreal-based trio of siblings Trevor, Jaclyn and Allie Blumas use vocals only intermittently, sometimes as ghostly background murmuring or chanting, but also more prominently, like on first single Waka Waka, where Trevor gradually sings himself into a herky-jerky frenzy.
There’s a spirit-transporting quality to the music, with the synths, percussion, guitars, voices and flute not so much bringing back the dead as transporting the living into a trippy new, peaceful world. But sharp edges and thick bass lines make it more dance floor than drum circle. They call it “dark new age,” which hits the mark.
And while they’re clearly onto something, the songs with more vocals are far more captivating than those without, making us wish for more of them.
Top track: Ovoo
Doomsquad play a record release show at the Comfort Zone on February 27.
