Andy Shauf is a Canadian singer/songwriter and multi- instrumentalist from Saskatchewan. He plays most of the instruments on this, his third album The Party, including clarinet which features in the intro of the opening track featured here as a video. The Magician is a retro slow pulse, lilting its way towards the mid-seventies calmly reaching track two on the album (with all the time in the world). This mellow mood continues through the record till track 4, Quite Like You, seems that it might shyly ask you to dance (you say no).
The album’s title, The Party makes me think of ironic videos and seventies nerds and one wonders if this party is ever going to take off until you realize that to have a quiet chat on a brown sofa is just the kind of party you like. Dry sounds are suddenly replaced in measured reverb on Begin Again like a door being opened as a gust of wind blows into the lounge extinguishing the candles.
The closest I can come to this quiet, thoughtful Canadian is my favourite, man with a homemade vision NYC’s F.M. Cornog, the force behind the wonderful East River Pipe, although there’s something more of trees and the countryside about Shauf.
The record is full of lovely little musical twists – it’s rather like a charming exploration where Shauf knows exactly what he’s doing and where he’s going, like a trip to the one shop in the village where he knows everybody’s name and they knew him since he was a baby.
A warm, soft and interesting melodic record, highly recommended if you don’t dance or use cocaine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Shauf
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