Tenderness – Below Me

Tenderness – Too Wonderful

Toronto newcomers Tenderness have made a really neat album!  A sprawling, omnivorous kind of album that covers so many bases, and is so full of ideas it’s almost impossible to take it all in on the first, or even the second listen.  The opening track, Below Me, encapsulates the record’s eclecticism, beginning with an extended burst of evolving white noise that gives way to a big reverby 808 clap and a morose vocal that glides over sparse synths and rolling waves of warped samples.  The bracing Too Wonderful is another standout, veering into a sort of sedate spastic-jazz punk reminiscent of Linder Sterling and Ludus, driven by the layered saxophone skronking of Brodie West, veteran of Toronto improvisational jazz group Drumheller, and an infectious half-sung vocal melody.  It’s the kind of record that demands repeat listens, if only to figure out how they made it work so well in the first place.

The Axe Is Ready At The Tree is available to stream or download on their bandcamp.  Here’s hoping we hear more from these guys in the not so distant future.