Courier News

Alexa Dirks and Matt Schellenberg make a great team. Dirks (of Juno-awarded group Chic Gamine) and Schellenberg (a Western Canadian Music Award winner for his work with the Liptonians and Royal Canoe) complement each other very well in a few aspects. Dirks' soulful, streaming vocals flow over Schellenberg's cautiously modest, straight pipes while electronic loops twirl and vibrate beneath. This five-song EP is a wonderful introduction to the new Winnipeg, MB-based duo, though you can hear titbits of influence or similar characteristics from known groups such as Spoon and the XX. The mixture of computerized sounds from the vocoder, Autoharp and midi instruments, as well as pots, pans and Coke bottles, keep them futuristic but organic. Dirks and Schellenberg have created a casual, up-and-down atmosphere with their mellow lyrics. They say newspapers don't have a future, but this band will get to something more optimistic.