Howie Beck

As a somewhat unheralded figure within the Canadian indie rock scene over the past decade, partly due to his shyness of the spotlight, the Toronto singer-songwriter's fourth album is nonetheless another clinic in modern pop song craft. Inspired and partly recorded in Paris with good friend Gonzales, How To Fall Down In Public resonates with the uncomplicated warm vibes that have come to characterize not only Beck's sporadic output but the work of those in his immediate circle who guest on the record, most notably Feist and Sarah Harmer. And with a running time of just over 30 minutes, everything about the record seems designed to be easily digestible. That's not to say that Beck's work lacks depth. In fact, like all great classic pop practitioners, he knows that a bittersweet element needs to be present in order to keep himself honest. How To Fall Down In Public may lack the reckless energy of great power pop but that spirit is still at its heart and should appeal to fans of the genre.