Jay Arner

Decades from now, when some random musicologists write their theses on the cultural impact of Ariel Pink on indie rock, they won't have to look further than BC's Jay Arner as their main case study. Of course, this is all hypothetical. For all I know, Arner could have no interest in California's favourite psychedelic dream-weaver, but by God does Arner's self-titled Mint Records debut sound totally inspired by him. Nevertheless, Arner's first proper full-length certainly proves he's well worth the hype. Over Jay Arner's modest ten tracks, the young pop savant delivers Kevin Barnes-indebted wails ("Bird of Prey"), Beach Boys-inspired harmonies ("Nightclubs") and slacker-infused shredding that makes old man Malkmus sound like the Richard Branson of shoegaze (album opener "Midnight on South Granville" and the infections "Don't Remind Me"). Carefully tiptoeing around pure punk progressions, unadulterated lo-fi songwriting and thrift-store keyboard vignettes, Arner certainly resembles every other bedroom-based recording artist in this country. The only difference is that he doesn't suck.