Apollo Ghosts – Living Memory

This sounds nothing live the jangly, punk-leaning rock Apollo Ghosts are usually known for; instead, it hews closer to the album Teacher released under the name Arbutus back in 2014. Teacher recorded Living Memory using a free spinet piano acquired on Craigslist, plus some stock Logic plugins. He spent a year making the album, recording early in the morning, and the results were mixed by Dave Carswell of JC/DC Studios.(Exclaim!)

Linda McRae – Going to the Well (indie)

Bedouin Soundclash – MASS (Sony Music Entertainment Canada)

MASS is said to find Bedouin Soundclash delving “further into New Orleans jazz, afro-pop, electronic and gospel,” a reflection of “a creative rebirth influenced by the cities and musicians that surrounded them.”(Exclaim!)

City and Colour – A Pill for Loneliness (Still Records)

Striking and poignant, Dallas Green delivers yet another record of melodies and harmonies. Under the name City And Colour, the Alexisonfire vocalist and guitarist peppers the musical landscape, conveying through these songs of purpose a story of hardship and pain. (Gigwise)

Dave Sampson – All Types Of Ways

Devarrow – Devarrow (Paper Bag Records)

Devarrow’s Graham Ereaux is working to define himself within, or maybe against, the millennial generation he belongs to. Raised with technology embedded in the everyday, and anxiety in open discussion, Devarrow mines the current age on his eponymous record, and uses folk laden with soft images to engage with the hard-edged norms of the world.(Exclaim!)

Jennis – The Mirror

Kacy & Clayton – Carrying On (New West)

This is the fifth album in nine years from the still-young Saskatchewan folk duo, and it continues their sustained level of excellence. The pair’s career was boosted when fan Jeff Tweedy took the production chair for 2017’s The Siren’s Song, and he resumes that role here. The recording was done mostly live off the floor, with a restrained but effective rhythm section embellishing a sound built around the pure and unaffected voice of Kacy (Anderson) and the multi-instrumental talent of Clayton (Linthicum).(Exclaim!)

Kasador – Brood & Bloom

Katherine Penfold – Sweetest Thing (Justin Time)

In 2007, Amber Webber and Joshua Wells of Black Mountain decided to try something new: render their band’s old-school psychedelia into something less rugged and more soft-spoken, under the new name Lightning Dust. Twelve years and three albums later, Lightning Dust add a heartfelt and introspective album with Spectre, blending soft alt-rock with electronic ambience to explore deep-seated emotional concerns.(Exclaim!)

Lightning Dust – Spectre (Western Vinyl)

Micah Erenberg – Love Is Gonna Find You (Sleepless Records)

Minor Pieces – The Heavy Steps Of Dreaming (FatCat Records)

Rapport – In The Dark (Arbutus)

Skydiggers – Let’s Get Friendship Right (Latent)

St .Arnaud – The Cost of Living (Indie)

It’s been a long, but steady, road to recovery for Edmonton singer-songwriter Ian St. Arnaud. Following the tragic death of a friend and band member in late 2017, the beginnings of this album took shape. The Cost of Living marries Graham Lessard’s rich, atmospheric production — he’s known for his work with Basia Bulat and Timber Timbre, among others — with Ian’s blunt and sardonic songwriting that lets the listener in on his mindset during an extremely turbulent time, to mixed results.(Exclaim!)

Tim Nast – Here (indie)