You’ve heard of Anglophiles and Francophiles, but have you ever heard of a Canadaphile? Assuming you love our neighbors to the north (because who doesn’t?), there’s a stellar show at CSPS this Thursday at 7 p.m.
Manitoba’s The Bros. Landreth and Vancouver’s Jordan Klassen will be playing some great alt-country and chamber-folk songs, so hey, if you’re just a fan of delicately-arranged indie-folk or harmony-laden country, it’ll be a great show for you, too.
The Bros. Landreth (David and Joey) have been brothers their whole lives, but they’ve only been a band since late 2012. Their father, Wally Landreth, was a well-respected side musician, and the two brothers followed in his footsteps, playing as freelance musicians for artists like Doc Watson and Imaginary Cities for years before deciding to work together. Though they have the same “all-in-the-family” vibe of The Avett Brothers or Mumford and Sons, their sound is more indebted to alt-country, and delivered with a bit of a psych-tinge, than the current abundance of vest-clad, boot-stompin’ folk revival bands. It helps that they can sing killer harmonies, seriously dusty guitars, and some great straight-forward, heart-on-sleeve lyrics.
Jordan Klassen has been described as a “Canadian Sufjan Stevens,” a comparison that’s both fitting yet unfortunate. Whereas Sufjan has made a reputation as a wild-card in the music world (his avant-garde mixed-medium exploration of the BQE and Unicorn-themed Christmas songs notwithstanding, even Illinoise, his most accessible album, made frequent references to zombies and UFOs), Klassen’s music has a stronger focus on the familiar.
His elegant and finely crafted chamber-folk isn’t meant to shock or surprise you. Rather, the lush arrangements are warm and inviting, bringing to mind more casual and down-home folk bands like Horse Feathers or Mutual Benefit.
