Winnipeg-based quartet CAR287 thoroughly impress on their debut album, Looking Through The Lens — showcasing a sound that spans heartfelt folk-rock, blistering guitar-led anthems, and bluesy southern-rock flourishes. Rooted in the heart of Canada, their songs often nod to Winnipeg itself, resonating with local audiences who have already embraced these tracks in live settings and now eagerly await the official release, out on September 20th.
“Opening Song” commences the album with a heartfelt rock appeal, infusing twangy guitars and chiming piano infusions amidst vocals that exude a hopefulness in “pulling away from here.” An invigorating call to push forward, and not look back, is conveyed with melodic immersion — propelled further by intertwining of spacey synths and soaring guitars into the ardent conclusion, which lets out “not looking back is what I’m talking about.” The ensuing “Ain’t Nothin’ Now” unleashes a heavier distortion in its blistering guitars and steady vocals, dazzling with a prog-rock demeanor and an enthusiastic “ain’t nothin’ now like it was back then” — continuing the thematic retrospective allure present on the opener.
Another highlight comes via “Muddy Waters,” where frolicking keys and bluesy guitar touches conjure a classic southern-rock character — lamenting a “long cold winter” with shades of The Allman Brothers, aesthetically. “Lift the floodgates up,” the vocals intensify into a raucous “going down!” fervency, cautioning to “stay away from the river” in its perceptions of personal tumult, within flood-water metaphors. The subsequent “Gateway to the West” channels a more layered folk-rock captivation, incorporating warming vocal layers alongside jangly guitars and touches of strings. Lyrical sentiments contemplate big city and smaller town differences, and how the latter can be special even if in “the middle of nowhere.”
One of the album’s most ardent rock efforts, “Feel It Coming On” unveils an excitable array of guitar work — dynamic in tone, from anthemic rock passion to more understated dreamy strums. The mid-point enamors in its guitar-fronted instrumentation, while the track’s book-ends compel with harmonious vocal enthrallment. “Back and Forth” also succeeds in a similarly brisk rock energy, complemented by peppy vocal encouragements that, like the opener, encourage movement and change without hesitation. In the more introspective realm, album closer “Passing of Days” moves through stately piano work and lush vocals, again capturing themes of navigating through passing time and the power of picking oneself back up following troubles. “Slip and fall with your best foot in spite of all,” the vocals let out. It’s a moving finale to an album that stirs in its perseverant lyrical themes and eclectic rock range.
The band will host an album launch event on September 20th at the Times Chang(d) High And Lonesome Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with an afternoon performance at Winnipeg record store “Into The Music.”
