Carpenter

Vancouver, BC's Carpenter strip down on sophomore full-length Sea to Sky, taking a bit of the polish off the sound of their excellent first full-length, Law of the Land. The result is a sound that exposes them from their spirited inside out, an approach that not only puts singer/guitarist Daniel Sioui at the emotional centre of the record, but also downplays some of the more straight-ahead classic rock sounds they've veered toward over the past couple of years, such as secret anthem "Long Hard Day." Sioui's straight-from-the-gut vocals have always stood out, and here they're as raw as ever, even straining, at times, but always real. The increasingly roots-y raggedness of songs like "Separate" recalls earlier Attack in Black, but the lyrical content is classic Carpenter, exploring the great city/country divide. The latter representing the desire for authenticity and growth it's clear Carpenter always aspires to.