Murray A. Lightburn is best known to Canadian music fans as the frontman of Montreal's the Dears, but now he's making the solo leap with his first album under his own name. MASS:LIGHT is due out on August 20, and it's available to stream before then at Exclaim.ca.
While the Dears' sound typically focuses on soaring indie rock, Lightburn's solo work finds him venturing into synth-driven terrain. A press release calls it "an electro-pop opera" with influences including Rick James, Brian Eno, Burt Bacharach, the Dazz Band, and the films Dune and Blade Runner.
It was mixed by Adrian Popovich. Songs like "Motherfuckers" and "A Thousand Light Years" sport bouncy drum machines and hooky synths, but other songs venture into more pensively low-key terrain. The instrumental "From Dreams" moves from church-like organ to sci-fi electronics, while "War Halls" channels darkly cinematic drama, and the title track is filled with sweeping textures and dense syncopations.
Take a listen below, and read Exclaim!'s interview with Murray about MASS:LIGHT here.
UPDATE: This stream was available for one week only and is no longer available.
While the Dears' sound typically focuses on soaring indie rock, Lightburn's solo work finds him venturing into synth-driven terrain. A press release calls it "an electro-pop opera" with influences including Rick James, Brian Eno, Burt Bacharach, the Dazz Band, and the films Dune and Blade Runner.
It was mixed by Adrian Popovich. Songs like "Motherfuckers" and "A Thousand Light Years" sport bouncy drum machines and hooky synths, but other songs venture into more pensively low-key terrain. The instrumental "From Dreams" moves from church-like organ to sci-fi electronics, while "War Halls" channels darkly cinematic drama, and the title track is filled with sweeping textures and dense syncopations.
Take a listen below, and read Exclaim!'s interview with Murray about MASS:LIGHT here.
UPDATE: This stream was available for one week only and is no longer available.
