Louise Burns

It's no secret that Louise Burns is a talented and adaptable musician, from her pop-punk days with Lillix to her current gigs performing solo and in synth-rock band Gold & Youth. Although her influences were amalgamated on debut album Mellow Drama, her newest release, The Midnight Mass, refines her sound. It's clearer now that Burns's ultimate focus lies directly between the dark moodiness of the Cure and the ethereal pop sounds of contemporaries Rachel Zeffira and Dum Dum Girls. That sweet spot gives us gems like "Jasper" and "Don't Like Sunny Days," which highlight Burns's great ability to pair dream-pop harmonies with reverb-laden instrumentals that don't drown her out, instead complementing her. The signature touches of producers Colin Stewart (Dan Mangan, A.C. Newman) and Sun Rose Wagner (of the Ravonettes) are fairly evident throughout, contributing a much-needed consistency Mellow Drama lacked, at points. Burns's sound and image are still works in progress though, not reaching their definitive states just yet. However, this is one progressive step in the right direction and whether contributing to other projects or playing solo, Louise Burns has definitely become one of Canada's secret weapons.