By Maggie McPhee
Vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Neil Smith on how his indie band has written one of Vancouver’s luckiest success stories of the 21st century.
renforshort – dear amelia
Interscope Records
by Ben Boddez
- Published on
As pop-punk storms back into the forefront of culture, nobody did it better this year than this 20-year-old Torontonian. Though modern-day figurehead Travis Barker does appear on one track, the combination of renforshort’s blunt songwriting and bouncier Strokes-esque pop-rock sound makes her work stand out from the pack of seemingly increasingly samey tunes in the mainstream.
With an overarching concept of a self-help column and lyrics examining struggling to stay true to herself amid various social pressures, her idolization of the genre contributes to some truly anthemic choruses and heart wrenching imagery delivered by a strikingly emotive voice.
By Stephan Boissonneault
With haunting themes and guttural power, the duo crafts an album that challenges, ignites, and transforms.
By Glenn Alderson
In a visually stunning video, the indie folk songstress explores themes of growth and self-reclamation.
