By Victoria King
I’m uncertain of the most appropriate word to describe that feeling on a rainy grey Sunday, when there’s nothing to do and nowhere to go, and the whole day is spent in a half state of here and not here. When I first listened to Loyalty, the brand new release by The Weather Station, that was my day – and it became the perfect soundtrack. The Weather Station is the project of Tamara Lindeman, a Toronto songwriter and actress. Loyalty is the third release in the project’s discography, predecessed by All of it was Mine in 2011. Loyalty was made in collaboration with Afie Jurvanen of Bahamas, and is curiously nostalgic and beautiful, downtempo and easy flowing. Most notably on this release is the lyrics. Firstly, they’re laid out on the inside of the case and read like poetry. It’s worthwhile to find a comfy spot and read them ahead of time. They’re eloquent and clean without fussing in unnecessary metaphor or imagery. Written as reflections, they dwell on motifs of travel and location (specifically referencing Orleans, Nebraska, and California), sisterhood, and interpersonal disconnect. To my eyes, Lindeman’s lyrics look like they’re written as poems or short stories at a distance from the musical arrangement, which is further supported by the unconventional vocal patterns and song structure. For fans of Joni Mitchell and Sharon Van Etten, Lindeman is a breath of fresh air. Her voice is gentle and waspy, and the album is powerful in its subtly. Never pushing too hard, never making waves, it floats contently in ebbs and flows of soft pop space. Really, it’s lovely. (Self-released, the-weather-station.com)