The saxophone is schmaltzy. Every connotation derived from each note signifies something cheesy and unappealing. Without that same sax though, Sugarglider might just be like so many other indie-dance albums. Renny Wilson doesn’t just use the saxophone, it’s used proudly, artfully incorporated into the backbone of songs like “By and By.”
Borrowing playfully from the most fun corners of chillwave, funk and disco might be painful for some, maybe a guilty pleasure for others. Hopefully there are those who are able to hear songs like “Come Tomorrow,” and hear the New Order by way of a sunny Alberta and let go of their prejudices.
It’s a great album for letting go, and an ideal foray into music for Wilson, as it establishes him as someone with a keen ear for sounds that inspire joy (even if the lyrics aren’t joyful) and the feeling of letting go of your inhibitions. As an album, it plays like a well-sequenced DJ mix, with tracks segueing masterfully into each other. There’s plenty of room here to grow too; to move past the surface-value dance tracks and deepen the emotional resonance of the sounds. But until then, this record is a worthy entrance into the recorded world. (Mint Records, mintrecs.com) Devin King