I'll try to be unbiased

Usually when I write reviews of music, I feel like a jerk. Since I buy/download albums rather than get free promos, I feel like I am defending my purchase, rather than reviewing. This is an attempt to be less like a defender.

Miracle Fortress - Maybe Lately

There is something to be said about the title for this magnificent side project. The name "Miracle Fortress" draws you in, as if He-Man had become a born again christian, and he just got a new pad. With equal potential for being either cute and jovial, or aggressive and anti-social, the name grabs you and commands your attention.

This track grabs you with a hook that will probably jump directly in to your head and swim around a bit. The vocals and multi instrumentation feel like that of a Beach Boys or Belle and Sebastian song, but something about the sound is just a little different. If you have had the pleasure of listening to the song "Strawberries", you will probably notice a similarity. This comes as no surprise, since both bands sound like they count more than a few Shoegazing bands amongst their influences.

Everything is written, performed, recorded and mixed by Graham Van Pelt at "Friendship Cove", which is a Recording Studio/Collective in Montreal. This track is making me smile and steering my interest back towards indie-rock, which is an outstanding achievement considering I listen to little else but IDM and Techno all winter long. Summer has now come, and tracks like this are really setting the mood for the season, I will no doubt be enjoying it throughout. Speaking of summer, Miracle Fortress is said to be playing the Sled Island Festival so be sure to head over there if you want to support this and many similar local and international acts.

Keep it "Real" Jw.

Labels: mp3, music