Or maybe she’s in the Bahamas
You probably don’t know the name Afie Jurvanen, but if you’ve listened to certain Canadian indie musicians in the last few years, you’ve probably heard him. He’s played with Great Lake Swimmers, the Stills, Howie Beck, Amy Millan, Jason Collett, Hayden, Zeus and Feist.
But now is the time for you to hear him and see him on his own. Jurvanen, now playing under the name Bahamas, released his album, Pink Strat, today on Nevado Records.
This week is a fine start to what I’m sure will be a grand solo career. First, Pink Strat (named for the beat-up fender guitar he favours) is released. The first single “Already Yours,” is being featured for free on iTunes. And in the tradition of all the artists in my posts this week, Bahamas will be playing at Hillside!
Jurvanen picked up a thing or two, playing in such esteemed company. His voice reminds me of Jason Collett’s, but more lonesome, less sure. The shy, sexy way the songs are arranged is positively Feistian (she sings on a few tracks) and his pacing is reminiscent of Great Lake Swimmers (various members of tht band, the Golden Dogs’ Dave Azzolini and members of Zeus perform here as well.)
Indeed, if you combined all of the above, you’d have an approximation of what’s on offer here. I’m not complaining about the similarities though, because Jurvanen doesn’t let his guest stars or influences steal the show. He and his musical abilities are front and centre and that’s as it should be.
There’s a melancholy thread running through all these songs. They’re mostly about lost loves or loves that haven’t happened yet. One of the best tracks is “Try, Tried, Trying,” which does a magnificent job of highlighting Jurvanen’s musical talents. Multi-instrumentalist Jurvanen crafts a song with a steady if sparse back beat and proceeds to fill it out with bluesy guitar solos and his tremulous, wounded vocals. “Lonely Loves” is an echoey plea for love, filled with some excellent little guitar noodles. It’s also given a boost by the breezy backup vocals provided by Feist.
As much as I love the original songwriting on display on this album, I’m incredibly impressed by his efforts at covering a new-wave punk song.
“(I’d Go The) Whole Wide World” has been covered and covered and covered. I love the original by Wreckless Eric and I am not impressed by many versions I’ve heard from musicians who attempt to put the same kind of spin on the song. Imitating the plaintive growl of the original is not going to work, and Jurvanen wisely doesn’t even try.
Whereas Eric Gouldon makes you believe he’s going to get the girl, if only he sings hard enough, Jurvanen knows he isn’t going to get her, cause she’s gone. He makes the song into a remorseful memory about what might have been. Where the original is all hard corners and unexpected gasps and wails, this version is a sweet, sensual number kept moving by finger snaps, lazy, easy guitar licks and a lilting piano. It reminds me of nothing so much as Marcellus Hall’s haltingly romantic “Love Letter.”
And apparently, he’s good enough live to impress the folks at Chart. They gave his set at NXNE last month a mark of 88 out of 100. Here are some upcoming tour dates for you if you can’t make Hillside. And in October, he’s embarking on a Quebec to B.C. tour of the country with Amy Millan. Check his myspace for more details.
Aug. 1-2: Kee to Bala with Sam Roberts Band, Bala, ON.
Aug. 6 - The Dakota Tavern, Toronto, ON.
Aug. 7-9 - Wolfe Island Festival, Kingston, ON.
You can buy Pink Strat on iTunes and Nevado.
Bahamas - Try, Tried, Trying: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Bahamas - Lonely Loves: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Bahamas - Whole Wide World: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
