Friday 12 June 2009
New years
(photo: Jess Baumung)
The very first interview I ever did for Quick Before It Melts was with Casey Mecija of Toronto band Ohbijou. It was a tad bit daft, and a heavy on boring questions, but in going back and reading it now, I’m struck by her answer to the question “Where will you be a year from now?” Mecija answer was concise, and correct: “Everywhere.”
The band was just gearing up for the release of their 2006 album, Swift Feet For Troubling Times, a gorgeous orchestral album with room in the melodies to breathe and stretch out. Swift Feet… certainly had strong legs to carry the band over the last couple of years, playing gigs, amassing fans, and garnering a lot of attention and anticipation for their follow-up. The band was selected to be one of the first Indie Bands in Residency at the Banff Centre last year, where I’m sure they spent a fair bit of time and effort on Beacons, their new album.
Beacons, upon first listen, appears to have more meat on its bones than its predecessor. I like the way Frank described it at Chromewaves earlier this week: “If Swift Feet… was the aural equivalent of a walk through the woods on a crisp and silent Winter’s day, Casey Mecija’s voice and the band’s bedroom chamber-pop orchestrations keeping your head warm like the furry lining of a parka, then Beacons continues that walk through the city on the cusp of Spring.” It’s a less pastoral album, with a sharper focus on song structure and arrangements, but it retains that quirky sensibility that made Swift Feet such a charming listen. It does what every good sophomore album should do, and that’s move the sound of the band forward while strengthening it’s musical identity.
I’m excited for Ohbijou, as Beacons is going to get worldwide releases this month. The coming year is going to open up all sorts of opportunities for them. If I could ask Mecija where she thinks she and the band will be a year from now, I’m sure she’d say, “Everywhere and then some.” And she’d be right.
MP3: Ohbijou “Back Ice”
Myspace: Ohbijou
Buy: Ohbijou Beacons
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