The Rural Alberta Advantage had humble begins. Following the self-release of their prairie-lovin' Hometowns debut on a CD-R in 2008, the Toronto-based trio took the album on a North American tour, slowly but surely landing themselves a solid record deal, a proper release for the album and a wider audience. Because of that slow rise, however, the long-awaited release of the follow-up, Departing, means the band are finally issuing new material more than three years since releasing their debut.
Departing will be hitting stores on March 1 via Paper Bag in Canada and Saddle Creek in the U.S., but if that wait has become too much to bear, this week you can listen to the album here on Exclaim.ca.
Like their debut, Departing showcases the trio's penchant for timeless songwriting, busy drumming, dashes of keyboards and frontman Nils Edenloff's heart-swelling vocals. According to a press release, the album "serves as a companion piece to Hometowns," as it "strings together themes of small towns, Canadian fall and winter, breakups and redemption."
Back in December, Edenloff told Exclaim! that the Alberta-referencing still played a central role on this album, saying, "In a way, it's more personal stories about Alberta... Songs like 'The Breakup' -- it's referencing a lot of places in Fort McMurray and a lot of memories I have, and that moment when winter shifts to spring and the ice breaks. And 'Good Night,' every line in that is about Fort McMurray."
As previously reported, the RAA will be supporting the record will a North American tour, the dates of which you can see here.
And as for that Departing stream, it will be on Exclaim.ca until February 28.
Stay tuned for these future full-album streams on Exclaim.ca:
R.E.M. Collapse into Now March 1 to March 7
Mother Mother Eureka March 8 to March 14
J Mascis Several Shades of Why March 15 to March 21
Mountain Goats All Eternals Deck March 22 to March 28
Timber Timbre Creep on Creepin' On March 29 to April 4
Departing will be hitting stores on March 1 via Paper Bag in Canada and Saddle Creek in the U.S., but if that wait has become too much to bear, this week you can listen to the album here on Exclaim.ca.
Like their debut, Departing showcases the trio's penchant for timeless songwriting, busy drumming, dashes of keyboards and frontman Nils Edenloff's heart-swelling vocals. According to a press release, the album "serves as a companion piece to Hometowns," as it "strings together themes of small towns, Canadian fall and winter, breakups and redemption."
Back in December, Edenloff told Exclaim! that the Alberta-referencing still played a central role on this album, saying, "In a way, it's more personal stories about Alberta... Songs like 'The Breakup' -- it's referencing a lot of places in Fort McMurray and a lot of memories I have, and that moment when winter shifts to spring and the ice breaks. And 'Good Night,' every line in that is about Fort McMurray."
As previously reported, the RAA will be supporting the record will a North American tour, the dates of which you can see here.
And as for that Departing stream, it will be on Exclaim.ca until February 28.
Stay tuned for these future full-album streams on Exclaim.ca:
R.E.M. Collapse into Now March 1 to March 7
Mother Mother Eureka March 8 to March 14
J Mascis Several Shades of Why March 15 to March 21
Mountain Goats All Eternals Deck March 22 to March 28
Timber Timbre Creep on Creepin' On March 29 to April 4
