Haymakers

Orangeville’s the Haymakers originally began as a trio and all of a sudden found themselves a septet when it came time to record. Their debut release, a seven-track, self-titled EP recorded at Toronto’s BWC Studios, is a glowing effort that crosses different boundaries to achieve an identity. Everything from Grandaddy, Lambchop and the Elephant 6 collective could be considered influences, as the music centres on desolate alt-country blues with psychedelic manipulation and overall sonic weirdness. What’s most impressive though is how the Haymakers manage to keep their heart-rending ballads and experiment with their gadgets without obstructing each other. Most of the carnival dreamscapes and sparkling ambience are saved for the finales of each song. Though when they are mixed into the body of the song, like on "Melting,” they work well, and surprisingly, do not spoil the overall mood of the music.