“I don’t mind . . . should I mind?” Lev Snowe muses on “Daydream I,” the second track on his EP, Drifting Off. In this instance, the tug-of-war between caring and not caring seems to have a clear victor, but through his music Snowe makes apathy part of a joyful state of mind. With shimmery guitar and a low bass line reminiscent of Mac Demarco’s Salad Days, Drifting Off is initially a warm and familiar soundscape. But just like a wandering mind, Snowe isn’t too focused on staying in one place, occasionally bringing in some swanky and decadent synths to dizzy things up. While the rest of the music pulls you in, these interludes create a more expansive sense of space, as if a particularly demanding thought has surfaced through the tranquility. Snowe’s voice carries a similar psychedelic ease to that of John Lennon, if the latter had been born Canadian and drank with tea with a lot of honey. Overall, Drifting Off exists in a perfect state of in-between, Snowe himself describing it as “music for those endless summer days and toasty winter nights.” It’s the perfect soundtrack for anyone who wants to carve out a bit of refuge in an overly demanding week, or any worrier who wants to cultivate an air of blissful nonchalance. (Independent,soundcloud.com/levsnowe) Rachel Narvey
Recommended if you like Static on the Prairies, Mondays from Noon – 1 pm on CKUW 95.9 FM.