Rating: NNN
Judging by their moniker, you might think you know what Winnipeg six-piece Royal Canoe sound like. But you’re wrong.
Royal Canoe isn’t a Canadiana-obsessed folk band inspired by their scenic Prairie surroundings. Far from it. They’re a pop-rock band equally influenced by neo-soul and hip-hop, Prince and psychedelia (which, actually, isn’t out of line with their city’s current musical landscape). The result is a smorgasbord of sound that’s all bongos, keyboards and languorous breakdowns that creep into repetitive territory. Keeping it all mostly together are Matt Peters’s vocals, which contort and stretch in every imaginable direction.
While ambitious, the over-the-top mixing can be overwhelming. On Light, it sounds like the band opened up two YouTube videos at the same time, adding weird vocal samples overtop. At times, some restraint would have improved the album. Less can be more.
Top track: Today We’re Believers
