Picastro may go down in history as Toronto's best-known secret. The ever-morphing folk-rock brainchild of Liz Hysen has steadily delivered music since 1998, culminating in 2019's Exit and a 2020 split 7-inch with Great Lake Swimmers ahead of both acts' since-postponed European tour. Now, Hysen and friends are preparing a new collection of covers by a wide range of influential acts. I've Never Met a Stranger will be released on January 7, 2022, via ur audio visual.
The five-track affair features covers of songs by the legendary Velvet Underground, defunct local outfits Elfin Saddle and the Silt, American folk band Fire on Fire and British folkie Richard Dawson, with contributions by a large cast of local players including Marker Starling, Mas Aya, Luka Kuplowsky, Matthew "Doc" Dunn, Nick Storring, Germaine Liu, Man meets Bear and members of Badge Époque Ensemble, Beams and Fresh Snow.
"This covers EP was brought about by the uncertainty of things, the joy of not knowing and the magic created by music that falls outside of boundaries," said Hysen in a statement. "I've Never Met a Stranger evolved out of these concepts and the musicians who contributed to this project represent the ways in which we can all connect and represent our cities, our communities, our relationships as best we can."
True to form, the renditions turn each number into what sounds like a jam session around a campfire or a living room piano singalong. The songs are loose and convivial, as can be heard on the lead single, a cover of Fire on Fire's "Hangman." As Hysen and co. sing in rickety harmony, "You've just got to find a friend / Even the worst of men has friends / Even the hangman has friends."
Adding to the communal atmosphere, I've Never Met a Stranger features liner notes by onetime member Owen Pallett, who played with Picastro for a few years in the early '00s. He writes:
Picastro's albums always showed a band that was in a state of transition, restless, searching for a sonic niche. As time went on, the albums kept getting better and better, more and more distinctive. Picastro's body of work is a monument to longevity, a demonstration that an idea sometimes needs a decade (or two) to be fully realized. With every subsequent release, Liz's singular vision with this project becomes more and more tangible, the discreteness of her work from the zeitgeist becomes more pronounced. This new album is a testament to this.
Listen to Picastro's rendition of "Hangman" below, and keep scrolling for more information on I've Never Met a Stranger.
I've Never Met a Stranger:
1. Chaos Hands (Elfin Saddle)
2. Hangman (Fire on Fire)
3. Man Has Been Struck Down by Hands Unseen (Richard Dawson)
4. Pale Blue Eyes (Velvet Underground)
5. Tell Me White Horses (The Silt)
The five-track affair features covers of songs by the legendary Velvet Underground, defunct local outfits Elfin Saddle and the Silt, American folk band Fire on Fire and British folkie Richard Dawson, with contributions by a large cast of local players including Marker Starling, Mas Aya, Luka Kuplowsky, Matthew "Doc" Dunn, Nick Storring, Germaine Liu, Man meets Bear and members of Badge Époque Ensemble, Beams and Fresh Snow.
"This covers EP was brought about by the uncertainty of things, the joy of not knowing and the magic created by music that falls outside of boundaries," said Hysen in a statement. "I've Never Met a Stranger evolved out of these concepts and the musicians who contributed to this project represent the ways in which we can all connect and represent our cities, our communities, our relationships as best we can."
True to form, the renditions turn each number into what sounds like a jam session around a campfire or a living room piano singalong. The songs are loose and convivial, as can be heard on the lead single, a cover of Fire on Fire's "Hangman." As Hysen and co. sing in rickety harmony, "You've just got to find a friend / Even the worst of men has friends / Even the hangman has friends."
Adding to the communal atmosphere, I've Never Met a Stranger features liner notes by onetime member Owen Pallett, who played with Picastro for a few years in the early '00s. He writes:
Picastro's albums always showed a band that was in a state of transition, restless, searching for a sonic niche. As time went on, the albums kept getting better and better, more and more distinctive. Picastro's body of work is a monument to longevity, a demonstration that an idea sometimes needs a decade (or two) to be fully realized. With every subsequent release, Liz's singular vision with this project becomes more and more tangible, the discreteness of her work from the zeitgeist becomes more pronounced. This new album is a testament to this.
Listen to Picastro's rendition of "Hangman" below, and keep scrolling for more information on I've Never Met a Stranger.
I've Never Met a Stranger:
1. Chaos Hands (Elfin Saddle)
2. Hangman (Fire on Fire)
3. Man Has Been Struck Down by Hands Unseen (Richard Dawson)
4. Pale Blue Eyes (Velvet Underground)
5. Tell Me White Horses (The Silt)