Cancon

I don't go to multiple CMW shows anymore. But on Friday, I did go to Burdock, which was also making its CMW debut. Perhaps due to its of its out-lying location, relatively far from the other venues, it wasn't a large crowd that came out to see the bands playing there.

Opener Merival sang in the folk singer/songwriter mold. I liked that she showed a variety of guitar techniques, useful in a solo performer to keep a set interesting, but I was on the fence with her songs. A number of them lacked a compelling melody so though I appreciated the songcraft I didn't remember much afterwards.

Alana York came from Halifax. Being both pianists, their music usually had several complex layers, backed by pre-recorded percussions. They straddled between atmospheric pop and a new-age vibe. Often times, the combination of wavy synth and plinking piano made me think of Yanni writing video-game music, but in a good way.

Bernice was all over the map for their set. That is, their default mode were compositions where the musicians played in a chaotic way, with little of the typical pop cohesiveness. It wasn't jazz, but certainly invoking that free-form spirit. However, the dual harmony of the singers provided an anchor that kept things from going off the rails.