Frankly, I’m surprised I haven’t discussed The Most Serene Republic on KR yet (except for this brief mention. Can i even call that brief?), and I apologize. While the seven-piece Milton, Ontario crew does occasionally swing for the fences and miss, when they’re on, they’re on. One of the most downright enjoyable albums I have in my collection is The Most Serene Republic’s Population, which is filled with atmospheric, pounding pop gems, and gorgeous back and forth guy-girl harmonies. It’s a discordant masterpiece of an album, with pieces that shouldn’t fit together, yet somehow come out sounding favorably.
Piano and electric guitar are the driving forces behind The Most Serene Republic’s sound, while their vocals usually take a back seat to the accentuated instrumentation. The vocals aren’t really meant to stand on their own – most of the time they seem to complement the jangliness of the music.
So it is with much excitement that The Most Serene Republic are coming out with a new album, …And The Ever Expanding Universe, July 14. It also doesn’t hurt they’re on Arts & Crafts (based out of Toronto), one of my favorite labels out there (blogging friend Liz, from the Blisslist, actually echoed this sentiment on her radio show). Check out a couple sneak peek tracks below. They don’t have the same bursting appeal (though more time with them will probably do me well) of some previous Serene stuff, but who am I to make any judgments from a couple songs? Head to their MySpace to download another song “Heavens To Purgatory”.
The Most Serene Republic – “Phi” [MP3]
The Most Serene Republic – “Vessels Of A Donor Look” [MP3]
Bonus(es):
The Most Serene Republic – “Why So Looking Back” [MP3] (from Population – please purchase this album)
Stars – “Ageless Beauty (The Most Serene Republic remix)” [MP3] (labelmates joining forces!)
[…] What Others Say: Piano and electric guitar are the driving forces behind The Most Serene Republic’s sound, while their vocals usually take a back seat to the accentuated instrumentation. The vocals aren’t really meant to stand on their own – most of the time they seem to complement the jangliness of the music. – Knox Road […]