The opening moments of Canada's
This Cursed House feature a wonderfully captured field recording that seamlessly disintegrates into "Beige Stationwagon," a track that could easily fit into any of fellow Michiganian (none of the members of the group are actually from Canada)
Fred Thomas' projects (
Flashpapr,
Saturday Looks Good to Me) or even his own solo efforts. With a blend of pop, folk, and country,
This Cursed House keeps an even keel with amazing melodies and even more engaging instrumentation, never becoming tiresome or trite in its mission to craft the perfect pop song. The album is well sequenced, with each song tying into the next with great ease and helping to form a narrative of heartbreak, introspection, and the inevitable optimism reached at the journey's end. Fans of fellow Ann Arbor group
Great Lakes Myth Society will easily slip into this record and find it a wonderful soundtrack for lazy autumn days. It could very well be the best pop album to come out of the ever-fruitful Detroit music scene in 2006, and considering the quality of the competition, that's no small praise. ~ Rob Theakston