Brendan Canning
You Gots 2 Chill
Draper St./SQE Music [2013]
Fire Note Says: Not enough meat for a feel meal, but You Gots 2 Chill is a nice appetizer.
Album Review: Brendan Canning is best known for being one of the key members of Broken Social Scene, and while that band appears to be on indefinite hiatus, Canning has now quietly slipped out his second solo record, You Gots 2 Chill, on his own record label, Draper Street. Like his first solo record, Something for All of Us, Chill is low key and reflective. At times Chill is completely engaging, at other times it is merely “there”.
The title of the record says it all, this is music to chill to. The songs are built on Canning’s gentle finger picked guitar, and he is quite good. The opening track, “Post Fahey” is an instrumental tribute to the master of the style, John Fahey. It is expertly played and composed, and sets the tone of the record right off the bat. This is one to enjoy late at night, or with you morning cup of coffee. It’s nice to have on in the background, and by the time the second track “However Long” is about a minute in, you think, “wow this is nice.” However, two tracks later, “Makes You Motor”, you find yourself asking, “is this the same song still? Wow”. A little of this stuff goes a long way.
That’s not to say You Gots 2 Chill is a bad record, it’s not at all. It never seems to get out of first gear, but it’s not supposed to. That’s the point I suppose. It’s mood music for people who have a lot on their plate and want to listen to something soothing while they check things off their to do list. I don’t have a problem with the record, it is what it is. I personally would like to hear this stuff mixed in with some uptempo tracks to keep my interest up. Canning is a talented musician, and his skills are on full display here, sonically it’s a gorgeous record, there just isn’t enough meat here to make it a meal.
Key Tracks: “Post Fahey”, “However Long”, “New Zealand Tap Dancing Finals”
Artists With Similar Fire: M. Ward / Death Cab For Cutie / Broken Social Scene
Brendan Canning Website
Brendan Canning Facebook
SQE Music
– Reviewed by Kevin Poindexter
Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, I am extremely proud of the area I grew up in and the influence it has had on the world at large, from the Wright Brothers to Robert Pollard, the area has been a center of innovation both technologically and artistically. During my college years at the University of Dayton, I found myself becoming more and more immersed in the local music scene, a period of time in the early to mid 90's that coincided with the rise of bands like Guided by Voices, Brainiac, and The Breeders, who added to the rich musical legacy of the area. Dayton is also the hometown of many giants of funk in the 70's and is also the birthplace of Jazz greats Billy Strayhorn, John Scofield and Bud Shank. I wrote extensively for The Fire Note, a great online magazine focused on indie rock, in the 2010's while simultaneously being a partner in Rockathon Records, before retiring from both in 2018. In 2024, my thoughts turned back to helping at Rockathon and more importantly to pick back up on my writing, and more specifically to write about my love of jazz. I'm always listening, always searching for something new, something great. It's been a lifelong journey, and I still feel like there is so much out there to hear.
- Kevin Poindexterhttps://thefirenote.com/author/kpoindexter/
- Kevin Poindexterhttps://thefirenote.com/author/kpoindexter/
- Kevin Poindexterhttps://thefirenote.com/author/kpoindexter/
- Kevin Poindexterhttps://thefirenote.com/author/kpoindexter/
