I on the Prize

I’m really looking forward to being a member of the 2009 Polaris Music Prize jury, and have been spending the better part of the last two days thinking back to all the Canadian music released since June 1, 2008, and sizing up what my list of 5 favourite albums will look like.

You’d think it would be a no-brainer, right?  So did I.  The truth of the matter is, that when you look at the staggering number of albums released this year, trying to narrow down a list of five (let alone one) is enough to make your brain bleed.  The stipulations for eligibility are pretty wide—the album must have been released between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009.  Other than that, the field is wide open.  Under these conditions, I’m afraid that The Rural Alberta Advantage’s debut album, Hometowns, is ineligible as it was released before June 1, 2008, and its Saddle Creek re-release is not scheduled until July, so maybe next year it will have a shot.  I would have put that album at the top of my list for sure.

What does that leave me then?  Too many albums to go back and revisit, that’s for sure.  I’ve already started the task by giving a listen to Everyone All At Once, the sophomore album from The Rest.  They hail from Hamilton, Ontario, and remind me of a more immediate Most Serene Republic.  Adam Bentley’s voice is strikingly reminiscent of Robert Smith’s, especially on album opener “Coughing Blood/Fresh Mountain Air”.  That song sort of encapsulates everything that’s great about The Rest: brooding in tone, but airy and spacious in composition; romantic without being sappy; layered and lush without overdoing the melodrama.  I truly think that Everyone All At Once has a clear shot at being part of my Polaris list when I submit it in June.

Having said that, I would love to hear your suggestions about what you think should be on the list.  I’d welcome your comments here, or at our Facebook Fan page, or to me directly via Twitter.  While you’re at it, tell me what you think of The Rest, too.  I’ve got a feeling more than a few of you out there are going to find something to like in them.

MP3: The Rest “Coughing Blood/Fresh Mountain Air”
Myspace: The Rest
Facebook: The Rest
Buy: The Rest Everyone All At Once

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