Raising the Fawn

While head Fawn and sometime Broken Social Scene collaborator John Crossingham usually takes the songwriting reins, this release, showcasing a unified band for the first time, has allowed a band dynamic to blossom, making for interesting twists. On The North Sea, there always seemed to an internal battle of emotionally complicated epics and peppy pop numbers, and while Maginot still has that same battle, it is more subtle. The title track seems to have the most cohesiveness, as its first swell actually gives way to a second act that is even more abrasive, making this one of the emotionally naked songs on the album. But, the classic is "Until It Starts Again,” which has to be just as sublime in a live setting. A delicate build leads to a bare round of chants and handclaps that set the stage for the catharsis that they revel in. Once the stomping drums and crushing guitars come in, accompanied by Crossingham’s incredible voice, this is Raising the Fawn at their absolute finest. Indeed, so intoxicating is this celebration that it actually tends to overshadow everything else on the album. Besides a slight uneven quality, no other band traverse the same sonic plains as this one, and that alone makes this album a must-hear.