At the end of June, east coast powerhouse Slowcoaster quietly dropped a new album. This was not because of any lack of fanfare, but rather because of their unorthodox method of delivery. Choosing to shun industry conventions and trends, the band veered away from vinyl and cassettes to bring us their latest work on the tried and true medium of… canvas. In an effort to change the course of musical mass consumption and consumerism, Track 1 has been released on a series of hand-painted canvases, complete with download code.
On Track 1, the (somewhat expat) Cape Breton rock posse roll out more of what we’ve come to love them for, with fast-paced, happy-go-lucky tracks interlaced and some atmospherically funked up instrumentals. Of course, as part of this unique album experience, the entire thing is being delivered as a single 21-minute long track, so strap in for the long haul.
“Need a Change” kicks off the album by showcasing one of the band’s favourite tools in their kit: reggae. Not to mention, it hits the nail on the head thematically. With the band’s characteristic tempo and a personal touch of east coast husk, “Need a Change” perfectly captures the reggae essence and Slowcoaster’s goals of challenging the industry.
Following on the theme of readjusting the way we consume music is the catchy harbinger “Both Sides,” which literally insists that the listener “put on a record, and let it finish both sides.”
“We wanted to take our music back to the wacky creativity that we had when we first started the band way back in 2000. With there being so many ways to consume music these days, both free and paid, we wanted to blend something artistic like canvas paintings and Abbey Road-style song play with the digital download format,” says Slowcoaster’s Steven MacDougall.
“Don’t Let the Dank Out” is the first of the album’s four interlude instrumentals and has a certain ambiance to it as a result. With hat-heavy percussion, lack of vocals and eerie sound effects, one can’t help but imagine imminent disaster looming in the distance. The question is whether or not there’s going to be time to grab a mai tai before it strikes.
Meanwhile, “The World is on Fire” and “Classic Freakout,” two other instrumental tracks, come with their own variety of charms. “The World is on Fire” may bring about visualizations of an aquatic adventure at high noon, while “Classic Freakout” be a curious but satisfying combination of twang and organ that wouldn’t be out of place on the next installment of Mario Kart.
“Left Eye Right Eye” may or may not be a subtle nod to Wayne’s World, but we enjoy imagining that it is. It’s also the closest we get to a playful love song on Track 1.
“Off The Rails,” the album’s obligatory and welcome party anthem track, dons the heavy and fast reggae sound that Slowcoaster is best known for. This is straightforward ridiculous fun delivered at full speed. Experience has also shown this is very much the album’s crowd pleaser.
Many fans will already be familiar with much of Track 1. The band have been performing much of it over the last year. It’s 100% Slowcoaster, with a blend of radio-friendly hits made ironic by its unorthodox format, mixed with plenty of festival-friendly grooves. There’s no arguing that there is some novelty to owning a Slowcoaster album on canvas, either. Slowcoaster have shown again they aren’t slowing down at all, they’re just not taking the highways anymore.