Flotilla

It's starting to look like the musical talent pool in Montreal is deeper than Lake Baikal. Even among a luminary, headlining-grabbing sea of indie rock stars Flotilla's One Hundred Words For Water stands out as one of the most original and engaging albums released by a new Canadian group recently. A more optimistic Portishead or what Torngat might sound like as a pop band? It's exceedingly difficult to find an apt comparison without feeling a vital dynamic descriptor has been shirked. Naming highlights is equally taxing while traversing the album's angelic soundscapes but the afterglow of the heavenly funk breakdown in "Charlie, I'm Through" is undeniable. Water is teeming with distinct melodies, sophisticated arrangements, subtly syncopated rhythms and perpetually evolving song structures, and Flotilla have a boat-load of tricks for keeping their art rock ship steady while sailing a course straight through musical wonderment and on to bliss.