Nominally, Brooklyn via Montreal's Mas Ysa's (a.k.a. Thomas Arsenault) first release is an EP, though the kitchen-sink affair could just as easily be called a mixtape. A sonic wet dream for ADD sufferers, it runs a tonal gamut.
Leadoff "Vanya" plods prettily along on the back of a lazy horn and starry synths. A cinematic number, "Ktidal" evokes Explosions in the Sky, albeit without the catharsis. "Yes" is all alarmist keys and sci-fi blips, while "David Wessels" is either a half-finished thought or a robot lullaby. Conversely, the stunning "Why" is half dance-floor banger, half emo anthem ("the smile on your face you're faking, sad eyes look real to me"). Standouts "Shame" and "Life Way Up From" are diametrically opposed, the former a harrowing grower, the latter a breathily beautiful slow-burner.
Whatever he tries his hand at, Arsenault is confident, brash and curious, and Worth is at once fully realized and brimming with potential.
(Downtown Records/MapleMusic Recordings)Leadoff "Vanya" plods prettily along on the back of a lazy horn and starry synths. A cinematic number, "Ktidal" evokes Explosions in the Sky, albeit without the catharsis. "Yes" is all alarmist keys and sci-fi blips, while "David Wessels" is either a half-finished thought or a robot lullaby. Conversely, the stunning "Why" is half dance-floor banger, half emo anthem ("the smile on your face you're faking, sad eyes look real to me"). Standouts "Shame" and "Life Way Up From" are diametrically opposed, the former a harrowing grower, the latter a breathily beautiful slow-burner.
Whatever he tries his hand at, Arsenault is confident, brash and curious, and Worth is at once fully realized and brimming with potential.