Most Serene Republic

It’s entirely possible that the Most Serene Republic is the most exciting, emerging band in Canada. Of the crop of art-rock bands to come forward in the wake of the Arcade Fire, the Milton youngsters are the most likely to succeed on their own terms. While others try desperately to ape some sort of Montreal sound, the MSR are onto something wholly unique and the evidence is all over this ambitious, impassioned debut. The immediate hook is the sound of Adrian Jewett’s voice, which exists on such a high register, it’s damn near heavenly — think Mac MacCaughan without the grit. On stage, Jewett’s energy is so alluring, it probably wouldn’t matter what was going on behind him. Luckily for everyone, there’s something plenty damned incredible about the music of the MSR too, which combines raucous, arty pop structures and ambient noise with a lo-fi, wall-of-sound approach. With their pounding drums, chiming guitars, and majestic use of keyboards, songs like "Content Was Always My Favourite Colour,” "[Oh] God,” and "Where Cedar Nouns and Adverbs Walk,” are all virtual storms. There’s also something ingenious about arrangements like "The Protagonist Suddenly Realizes What He Must Do in the Middle of Downtown Traffic.” In other hands, the charm of "Proposition 61” and "In Places, Empty Spaces” might be lost, but the MSR have it firmly intact. Arts & Crafts were right to snag the Most Serene Republic when they did; this is a band the indie rock nation has been waiting for.