Culture Reject

After years of careful consideration, former Black Cabbage member Michael O’Connell presents jaw-droppingly great songs as Toronto, ON’s Culture Reject. With his arresting voice and unique compositional instincts, O’Connell brings friends into the fold but ultimately lets his eclectic tastes rule the roost. "Ain’t It On the Floor” resembles a classic Jim Guthrie lo-fi experiment, with Guthrie himself providing a loose, swinging percussive foundation for the quirky guitars. "Inside the Cinema,” however, is its own perfect example of irresistible lyrics, phrasing and melodies coming together to form one of the most infectious, accomplished Canadian singles of the year. There’s an overarching open ambience to every arrangement, as layers of tasteful sounds infiltrate the songs with subtlety. Just as Apostle of Hustle infuse forays to Cuba into their sound with pinches of bombast, O’Connell casually taps into the swing of other cultures, including familiar rhythms and gorgeous horns that add much texture to the Sade-esque "Overflow” and intricately mesmerising "Oh Remain.” Built for summer nights at the cottage, Culture Reject’s debut is a majestic achievement.