Amelia Curran – Watershed (Six Shooter)

Amelia Curran’s eighth album, Watershed, sees the St. John’s songwriter’s advocacy work with It’s Mental spilling over more openly into her songwriting: Her songs are inhabited by the black dogs of depression; night and shadows creep into the day; there’s a sense of being caught running in one place on more than one song, an overwhelming and lingering exhaustion. (Exclaim!)

Century Palm – Meet You (Deranged)

Exciting times for Toronto’s Century Palm. Much talked about in indie circles, the crew led by guitarist/vocalist Andrew Payne treated an enthusiastic audience to a preview of the songs that make up their sophomore album, Meet You. A fitting homage to the cerebral art rock of the eighties, Century Palm cherry-picked that era’s brightest moments, ignoring the schmaltz that has come to represent the MTV generation. (Live In Limbo)

Jacques Greene – Feel Infinite (Arts & Crafts)

Listening to his debut full-length, Feel Infinite, it’s easy to hear that Greene (born Philippe Aubin-Dionne) has succeeded in his goals. The record is a fine example of someone honing their craft without abandoning their sound. Like his previous releases, it’s dripping with the kind of nostalgic melodies that immediately take you back to a certain place or an encounter you may have had. That might sound corny to some, but there’s a big difference between mawkishness and emotional depth, and Greene falls firmly in the latter category. (Exclaim!)

Jon McKiel – Memorial Ten Count (You’ve Changed/Headless Owl)

Jon McKiel’s latest album Memorial Ten Count is named after the custom of ringing the bell 10 times before a boxing match to honour a fallen fighter. It’s a tip of the cap to his father, a boxing enthusiast who passed away a couple years ago, after the release of McKiel’s last record. “He’s thematically on the record a fair bit,” McKiel says. “Maybe a little cryptic, but it was an influence for sure.” Memorial Ten Count was recorded live in “the nether regions of Nova Scotia,” with members of Joyfultalk and Cousins rounding out a stacked band, and it sounds just as heavy as its title would imply. It’s packed with tense, vertigo-inducing aggression (“Conduit”), soft, left-field psychedelia (“Jewel In The Sun”), and a delicate finale in the gorgeous, arcane “Memory Cook.” McKiel’s inimitable writing runs through it all, addressing human connection, struggle, and the dynamics of power, all of which he addressed over the phone from the sunny side of his home in Sackville, New Brunswick. Memorial Ten Count isn’t out until March 10, but we’ve got the exclusive stream here so you can get your fix early. (Noisey)
https://noisey.vice.com/en_ca/article/jon-mckiel-is-just-trying-to-find-a-connection-on-new-album-memorial-ten-count?utm_source=noiseytwitterca

Mike Biggar – Go All In (Busted Flat)

Richard Laviolette – Taking the Long Way Home (You’ve Changed)

Listening to this album is like looking at a collection of time-worn photos from Laviolette’s life, from treasured memories of his childhood home (“Grey Rain”) to tributes to the strong women in his family (“My Grandma’s More Punk (Than Most Punks I Know)”) to contemplating his own mortality (“Someone to Tell My Story When I’m Gone”). On Taking the Long Way Home, Laviolette presents us with songs that are heart-warming and comforting, but also accompanied by lyrics that are full of raw honesty and wisdom. (CBC Music)

Strongman – No Time Like Now (Sonic Unyon/Sony)

With No Time Like Now, one of this country’s most talented and compelling blues players becomes a juggernaut. Backed by an impressive pack of players (including drummers Dave King and Adam Warner, bassists Rob Szabo and Alec Fraser, keyboardist Jesse O’Brien), the band is pure fire — both athletically limber and wickedly tight. The session also features a stellar guitar cameo from Randy Bachman on Strongman’s muscular cover of Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet”. (Live In Limbo)

VIKINGS – Animal Kingdom (Head In The Sand)

“It’s individual stories that all take place in different extremes of life. A baron wasteland, a tropical jungle or the eye of a storm in an urban landscape. It’s about finding connections with other people when you least expect it and navigating those experiences at that exact moment in time.” (AMBY)