Joe Lapinski

St. Catharines-based songwriter Joe Lapinski has crafted a wonderful solo record that owes a debt to an indie Canrock institution. A Rheostatics fan, Lapinski hasn’t been shy to let that band’s influence shine through on songs by his group Palooka, as well as his solo work. For his proper sophomore record, Lapinski goes to the source, recruiting former Rheo Dave Clark to play drums and produce an infectious array of songs. Too smart to follow his muses by the numbers, Lapinski’s original arrangements often contain great movement underneath his deceptively plaintive voice. "See How She Runs” is a fascinating mix of drama and dark pop, while the bold, textured rock of "Habit to Shake” finds self-reflexive new ground somewhere between Bidini and Tielli. The jazzy post-rock shuffle of "Jetta” recalls Al Tuck, while frequent Rheostatic collaborator Lewis Melville adds beautiful pedal steel to "Gold in them Hills,” bolstering another Laipinski tune that’s uniquely familiar.