Will Powers’ newest single, ‘Toil’, taken from the LP ‘Snake-Skinned’, is the sound of malaise painted in vibrant 60s psychedelia, seeping into up to date consciousness with each brashed-out twang and magnetically numbed indie vocal. The challenge, led by songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Oli Palkovits, attracts from Sudbury’s resolve to withstand despair and apathy, channelled by way of Palkovits’ signature occult psych punk and angular but fluid preparations.
Because the poetry of ‘Toil’ unfurls, it delivers a sardonic fable of fortitude, laying naked the emotional tax of relentless actuality – a world constructed to shatter your soul lengthy earlier than your physique breaks. The lyricism pulses with world-weary realism, every line delivered with a simple ache, whereas the instrumental layering invitations listeners to undergo the synaesthetic present. Simply as you compromise into the folk-infused, acid-tinged panorama, the observe dissolves the boundaries of its influences, pulling synth traces to the floor, proving that nostalgia and fashionable malaise can occupy the identical fevered house.
The LP marks a return to Sudbury for Palkovits, who wrote a lot of Will Powers’ earliest materials in Montreal earlier than assembling a staff of native luminaries: Jon Danyliw (bass), Dylan Kelly (drums), and Matt Beech (keys, guitar). With a Northern Ontario Music and Movie Award already on the shelf and previous appearances at M for Montreal, River & Sky, and Up Right here Pageant, ‘Toil’ doesn’t trouble with false optimism or saccharine consolation. It’s a synaesthesia-inducing synthesis of fashion, substance, sardonic soul, and sonic scintillation.
‘Toil’ is now obtainable to stream on all main platforms; for the complete expertise, watch the official music video on YouTube.
Evaluate by Amelia Vandergast