Slim Twig

If the mantle for busiest-man-in-Toronto belongs to a politician or music magazine editor somewhere, then Slim Twig (aka Max Turnbull) is at least topping the entertainers' league. Let's not understate: the man operates several leagues above and beyond the call of duty. When at a meagre 21 years old you've already launched your acting career, signed to the reliably excellent Paper Bag Records, produced a U.S. Girls record and then, with the help of its author (who you also found time to marry), released it on a self-run label, all the while spreading your musical talents across various indie bands, no one expects you to release one of the year's finest solo records. And yet, with Sof' Spike, Slim Twig achieves his noble aim, flightily darting between various takes on sample-laden, psychedelic '60s pop. The smoky, neon signifiers bring to mind a romantic Golden Age thinker closing his eyes and being teleported back in a blaze of lysergic colours. It seems daft to pick a highlight — each of these 13 tunes possesses at least three thrumming, hum-'em-to-your-pals hooks — but you can set aside a special seat in your subconscious for "The Golden Rule," three minutes of whirling, swerving, impulsive and pounding pop delivered with a cool, robotic drawl. This is an aesthetically watertight triumph.