Brasstronauts – Mount Chimaera (Review)

People mark down March 1, 2010 on your calendar for the release of the long awaited debut full length album by the Vancouver band Brasstronaut.
First time I saw them was on October 10, 2008.
They were brilliantly amazing live.
Here is a blurb on about the band and the album:
Mt. Chimaera, the debut album of Vancouver band Brasstronaut can be envisioned as the mythological beast of its title.
This record skillfully unifies genres as various as pop, electronica, klezmer, and jazz, just as the chimaera is composed of parts from a lion, goat and serpent.
And they both breathe fire.
Recorded at The Banff Centre, in the Rocky Mountains, and mixed/produced in home studios in Vancouver, Oberlin, Ohio, and New York.
Mt. Chimaera is the first full-length release by Brasstronaut‘s definitive six-piece line-up.
These member consist of:

• Bryan Davies – trumpet, flugelhorn, glock
• Edo Van Breemen – vocals, keyboards
• John Walsh – bass, guitar
• Brennan Saul – percussion
• Tariq Hussain – lap steel, guitar (Who is a radio personality on CBC Radio 3)
• Sam Davidson – EWI, clarinet

Listening to Mount Chimaera just totally blew my mind and ears away.
There isn’t any indie Canadian bands that I can think of at the moment that blends indie pop, alternative and jazz into one.
Beginning track Slow Knots begins with this psychedelic chime sound and goes into this loungey jazzy poppy sound.
Hand Behind is very chillaxing moody track.
Lo Hi Hope is a great fuse of indie rock with the jazz.
Six toes has that elaborate experimental song. I swear there is part in the song sounded like Shaft with that fast paced drumming.
Insects ends it off with a great big epic finale.
Call it a conceptual album of sorts. With a title like Mount Chimeara, its a story of this mythical beast through its journey of adventure through life, love and death. (Its late I don’t know what I am talking about).

Best tracks:

• Slow Knots (Download the song)
• Hand Behind
• Lo Hi Hope
• Six Toes
• Ravan
• Insects

Overall I totally dig this album.
The wait was good on this debut album and you can tell how much they have changed with their first EP.
Would have thought they would sound like Radiohead during the Hail To The Thief era.
Listen to A Punchup at a Wedding and just think of it as that kind of style and add in with the trumpet.
If they don’t do very well.
I will spread the word on this album until I am blue in the face.
Something about Edo’s vocal has alot of emotions when he sings.
Their instrumentation of the turmpet and keyboards is absolutely brilliant.
Definitely check this album out.

The band will be at the Black Sheep Inn on March 25th.
Kind of sad about it since I have no way in getting there.
Hopefully in some persuading if they read this.
The band should do Bands Undone for those that can’t get to the Black Sheep Inn.

For now check out their first video Requiem For A Scene from the EP “Old World Lies”

Thank you the people at Unfamiliar Records for letting get a chance to listen to Brasstronaut’s long await debut.
If I rate this, it would be 8.5/10.