BSS frontman delivers firey solo blinder

Brendan Canning
‘Something For All Of Us’
(Arts & Crafts)

Chief songwriter and vocalist with Canadian supergroup Broken Social Scene delivers a fine solo effort that mixes fiery rock’n’roll, psychedelic grooves and bruising lo-fi acoustics.

Although ‘Something For All Of Us’ features guest appearances from BSS members Kevin Drew, Justin Peroff, Jimmy Shaw and Lisa Lobsinger, the bulk of this record finds Canning working with young blood such as Ryan Kondrat and John la Magna, which makes it all the more refreshing.

Over 11 genre-hopping tracks Canning makes it impossible for us to define his sound by offering different perspectives at each turn. Opening track ‘Hit The Wall’ is all Sonic Youth/Dinosaur JR-worshipping indie-rock. Slow-building ‘Chameleon’ with its time-lapsed ecstatic release, sounds just like the sort of blissful ambient brass BSS were churning out circa 2001. ‘Antique Bull’ is a rollicking, piano-rolled folk shanty with a winsome lead vocal from Lisa Lobsinger. ‘Possible Grenade’ is a dark, menacing rumble of a track that yields to a suitably stormy finale.

Elsewhere, ‘Love Is New’ is all spiky cowbell funk. ‘All The Best Wooden Toys Come From Germany’ is a wonderful ‘glitch-tronic’ instrumental. ‘Church Under The Stairs, featuring guest vocals from Kevin Drew is a rush of dreamy indie-pop. ‘Snowballs And Icicles’ is an uncharacteristically stark and vulnerable acoustic elegy that wouldn’t be out of place on The Beatles ‘White Album.

Inhabiting the space where rhythm, melody and noise coalesce, ‘Something For All Of Us’ is a record that will provide BSS fans with an immediate sense of comfort and familiarity, while Canning’s fun and carefree approach to making quirky and grandiose pop music is sure to impress the initiated too. When your back-catalogue is as sparkling as Broken Social Scene it must be difficult to keep producing work at such high standards, but this is a task their bearded and bespectacled mentor has tackled with relish on his first solo offering. There is definitely something for all of us here!
(4/5)