music reviews

Father John Misty Gazed into the Void in Toronto

Massey Hall, February 21

PUBLISHED Feb 22, 2025

Father John Misty was way ahead of the curve in articulating the modern sense of despair. For more than a decade, he's been mingling...

Drake Does Mildly Successful Damage Control on '$ome $exy $ongs 4 U'

PUBLISHED Feb 21, 2025

"Drake elimination, fake intimidation / Take a minute, take a deep breath, have a little bit of patience / 'Drizzy, you amazin', you the...

Nemahsis Triumphantly Overcame the Flu at Heartfelt Toronto Show

Danforth Music Hall, February 19

PUBLISHED Feb 20, 2025

Record-high levels of snow couldn't stop Torontonians from descending upon the Danforth Music Hall to see Nemahsis in concert. Last night...

Father John Misty's 'I Love You, Honeybear Demos, etc.' Feels Like Real Love, Baby

Exclaim! Staff Picks

PUBLISHED Feb 20, 2025

'I Love You, Honeybear' is Father John Misty's biggest and best album — but "Real Love Baby" is his biggest single, and the newly released...

Silverstein Continue to Up the Ante with 'Antibloom'

PUBLISHED Feb 20, 2025

In the mid-2000s, Burlington, ON-born post-hardcore heavyweights Silverstein often took hits from heavy music fans for being sweeter than...

Youth Lagoon Melds Memory and Make-Believe on 'Rarely Do I Dream'

PUBLISHED Feb 19, 2025

As a child, when the cable bill went unpaid, my mom would dig out the VHS tapes — 'Forrest Gump', 'City Slickers,' every pre-Y2K Disney...

Avalon Emerson's "Don't Be Seen with Me" Is a Ravey Daydream

Exclaim! Staff Picks

PUBLISHED Feb 18, 2025

A couple years ago, my wife and I were obsessed with Avalon Emerson's dream pop album '& the Charm,' so we bought tickets to her Toronto...

Mereba's 'The Breeze Grew a Fire' Is a Breath of Fresh Air

Exclaim! Staff Picks

PUBLISHED Feb 18, 2025

Singer-songwriter, producer and rapper Mereba's idiosyncratic, vibe-y songs often have a breezy quality to them, so it's quite fitting that...