Shadowplay

Shadowplay use a few minor new wave sounds as the undercurrent on their delightfully sorrowful self-titled debut. “Daylight” contains the most elements of nouveau new wave with Jason Daviau handling the keyboards in the ever so fashionable ’80s style. The high pitched, wussie Morrissey meets Brett Anderson-inspired vocals of Rafal Zebrak mesh perfectly for their depressed spacey sound. When the pace is picked up for “Star,” the band begin to merge these influences into an impressive creative force. By allowing soft melancholic songs, “Anxious,” “Prospect” and “Instilled” to move at a snails pace, Shadowplay create a pocket of timelessness over the full album. “Flight” wakes us from our heavenly journey with the thumping drum, but keeps us in suspended animation with Zebrak’s vocals and Daviau’s spacey guitar rhythms. Shadowplay have risen from the cultural wasteland of Mississauga and overcome high school band cockiness to deliver a debut of almost pure relaxing sounds.