When I first put this album on, I liked it . . . but that’s about all. I thought to myself “Ok, another brooding band singing another brooding song – not too shabby, think I can dig it.” But after doing a little bit more research it was brought to my attention that Cold Specks is actually a pseudonym for a single person, Al Spx. That’s when my opinion of this album changed slightly: I’m more impressed, more interested and more willing to listen, given the talent that seems to reside within one person. This 24-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter, who’s been “rescued” from the depths of Toronto suburb Etobicoke, released I Predict a Graceful Explosion on Arts & Crafts in May, and has since earned recognition both at home and abroad for her “goth soul” melange. I Predict a Graceful Explosion is pretty true to name: a fluid meltdown of emotion, genres, and voice. Expressing so many emotions, a deep-set mourning, a great relief, an anticipated welcome, a willingness into the depths (to name a few), this album sounds like it’s constantly on the verge of climaxing to an emotional revelation. Cold Specks is beautiful and comforting in its darkness. The vocals on this album pull the instrumental accompaniment and serve as an engine that keeps each song going. (Arts and Crafts, arts-crafts.ca) Victoria King