Johnny Marr-inspired guitars and introspective melodies characterize Vancouverite Louise Burns' latest solo record, entitled Young Mopes. She pays homage to '80s greats the Blue Nile with a cover of their classic "Downtown Lights," but for the remainder of the album, it's all Burns.
Propulsive guitars and high-strung bass pound through "Storms" as she coos, "Oh, take a look at what you've done / Devil dancing in the sun." Her music is energetic and draws the listener in, as she layers multi-track guitars and synths around a tight rhythm section. This is Burns' first album with her new band, including guitarist Darcy Hancock and drummer Ryan Peters (both formerly of Ladyhawk), but you'd never know it; their sound is cohesive, even when adapting to more downtempo tracks like the synth-guided "Moonlight Shadow."
Burns' guitar work has bite, as in the intro riff to "Dig," but she juxtaposes this with sunny pop writing, giving the song both edge and an underlying complexity. Lap steel guitar helps give "Strange Weather," a pleading and cinematic, country-tinged tune that demonstrates another genre type in Burns' songwriting repertoire.
On Young Mopes, Louise Burns stands out as a multi talented, versatile player and writer, yet another example of unsung talent from the Vancouver scene.
(Light Organ)Propulsive guitars and high-strung bass pound through "Storms" as she coos, "Oh, take a look at what you've done / Devil dancing in the sun." Her music is energetic and draws the listener in, as she layers multi-track guitars and synths around a tight rhythm section. This is Burns' first album with her new band, including guitarist Darcy Hancock and drummer Ryan Peters (both formerly of Ladyhawk), but you'd never know it; their sound is cohesive, even when adapting to more downtempo tracks like the synth-guided "Moonlight Shadow."
Burns' guitar work has bite, as in the intro riff to "Dig," but she juxtaposes this with sunny pop writing, giving the song both edge and an underlying complexity. Lap steel guitar helps give "Strange Weather," a pleading and cinematic, country-tinged tune that demonstrates another genre type in Burns' songwriting repertoire.
On Young Mopes, Louise Burns stands out as a multi talented, versatile player and writer, yet another example of unsung talent from the Vancouver scene.
