The Motions is the second EP from Bill Jr. Jr., an indie folk rock band from Vancouver led by vocalist and lead guitarist Russell Gendron. There are hints of country and horn-infused folk here, a mix of the Shins, Jeff Tweedy and Beirut, though the band draw comparisons between themselves and fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf.
The EP follows a simple songwriting formula: repetitive and rolling riffs from a clean, undistorted electric guitar with horn lines layered on top. At times, Gendron comes across like Ryan Adams, singing with a soft melodic voice on top of the instrumentation, while Emily Huynh provides lovely harmonic backup vocals. Her contributions are a highlight throughout.
Unfortunately, though consistent, there's a same-y quality to these songs, which are somewhat indistinguishable from one another, and there's a lack of variety in the songwriting; in that way, the EP feels like a step back from their previous effort, Volumes (2016). That said, a song like "To Unfurl," which takes the EP's basic formula suggests potential for future releases.
(Independent)The EP follows a simple songwriting formula: repetitive and rolling riffs from a clean, undistorted electric guitar with horn lines layered on top. At times, Gendron comes across like Ryan Adams, singing with a soft melodic voice on top of the instrumentation, while Emily Huynh provides lovely harmonic backup vocals. Her contributions are a highlight throughout.
Unfortunately, though consistent, there's a same-y quality to these songs, which are somewhat indistinguishable from one another, and there's a lack of variety in the songwriting; in that way, the EP feels like a step back from their previous effort, Volumes (2016). That said, a song like "To Unfurl," which takes the EP's basic formula suggests potential for future releases.