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Album reviews Music

Rebecca Campbell & Justin Haynes

Rating: NNNN


Ottawa native and frequent backing vocalist (for Jane Siberry and others) Rebecca Campbell and jazz guitarist Justin Haynes have created an album of stunning songs you can fall into. It’s hard to classify The Sweetest Noise — accessible chamber pop that references everything from avant-jazz to kitschy Gainsbourg-esque chansons, it’s Polly Jean Harvey meets Patsy Cline meets Prokofiev. Campbell’s voice is rich and full and makes every note glow, and while the complex arrangements can be distancing, the warmth of woodwinds or a music box glockenspiel beckons you back into the tunes. But beware: this ain’t background music. The meandering tunes can be challenging enough to write a thesis on.

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