Released Monday

Kiera Dall’Osto – s/t (Independent)

Her backstory is pretty interesting, as she may be the only person in the world who moved from Australia to Moncton to Saskatchewan. There’s probably more than a few stories in there that inform Dall’Osto’s debut album, and whatever they are sure left an interesting mark. She’s developed a haunted, old-time sound that’s steeped in mystery and atmosphere.(Top 100 Canadian Blog)

Monica Chapman – Small World (Independent)

With her new release, Monica Chapman seamlessly builds on her previous successes with another eclectic, tasteful and brilliantly performed and produced project. A master of lyrical interpretation, she has drawn her material from the worlds of Broadway, the Great American Songbook and even the Spanish repertoire of Eydie Gormé. Collaborating once again with producer/arranger/pianist Bill King, Chapman offers up an irresistible smorgasbord of musical delights. Saxophonist Mike Murley (on alto here), guitarist Reg Schwager and trumpeter Kevin Turcotte are featured, supported by the dream-team rhythm section of King on acoustic piano, Dave Young on bass and Mark Kelso on drums and vocals. Additional support is provided by Nathan Hiltz on guitar, Rob Somerville on trombone and Magdelys Savigne on percussion.(The Whole Note)

Released Friday

Ian William Craig – Slow Vessels

Following the critical acclaim for his recent album ‘Centres’ (July 2016), Vancouver-based vocalist/composer Ian William Craig returns with ‘Slow Vessels’, an album-length EP release which both extends and radically reprises that album, rendering six of its tracks in a stunning new light.(Flick of the Finger)

Mac DeMarco – This Old Dog (Captured Tracks/Royal Mountain Records)

From the outside, Mac DeMarco has always been nothing but a baseball cap-donning, gap-toothed prankster. Prone to fart jokes and wacky, ironic Coldplay covers in the middle of one of his shows, the 27-year-old seems like someone who’d rather poke fun at himself than take life seriously. This first impression, however, ignores the sweet, sentimental side of his records, a side that threatens to swallow whole his third album ‘This Old Dog’.(NME)

Rodney DeCroo – Old Tenement Man (Tonic)

Once I’d heard Rodney DeCroo’s forthcoming album, “Old Tenement Man,” I absolutely could not get it out of my mind. Songs like “I’ve Got a Mirror, I’ve Got a Gun” (exploring how pain can turn into art, sometimes in unhealthy ways) and “The Barrel Has a Dark Eye” (in which DeCroo asks whether we really know who the enemy is in this day and age) have become frequent earworms in my head, and for good reason – this is a powerful set of songs, from a terrifically talented songwriter.(Great Dark Wonder)

Which of these, if any, are you looking forward to and what releases did we miss this week, let us know in the comments below.