“Home” can be a lot of different things for different people, but the one consistency about the places we call home is that you always know when you’re there, even if it’s not in the places you expected to find it.

Calgary’s Woodpigeon understands that “home” is a moving target; vocalist/guitarists Mark Hamilton thought he had found a home in Scotland, but then heartbreak sent him back to his country of birth, the True North String and Free,  bringing with him an orchestral pop sensibility that echoes the Canadian prairies as it and the Scottish highlands simultaneously.  He and his prolific flock have been exploring the journey of finding your place in the world through their music, first on this year’s Songbook album, then with it’s follow-up, Treasury Library Canada, available online or from the band directly as they toured.  It’s limited availability made Treasury Library Canada a much sought-after album; it’s effortless acoustic folk-pop put Woodpigeon at the forefront of a new wave of Canadian artists who have embraced their origins in the same way that many before them have tried to hide it.   The Rural Alberta Advantage, Bruce Peninsula, and Woodpigeon are all homegrown talents that I’ve got my eye on for 2009, as I’m sure many others do, too.

February 3 sees Treasury Library Canada gets it’s official release, and will come with an additional 10-song CD, Houndstooth Europa by Vancouver’s Boompa Records (and End Of The Road in Europe and the UK).  On top of all that, the band have already let it be known that their third album,  Die Stadt Muzikanten will be coming in the Fall of 2009.  Tour dates on their official website show that they’ll be little downtime through February, and I’m guessing the touring will continue into the spring.  No time to settle down at home for too long, then.

MP3: Woodpigeon “Love In The Time Of Hopscotch” (from Treasury Library Canada)
MP3: Woodpigeon “Oberkampf” (from Houndstooth Europa)
Myspace: Woodpigeon