The Wilderness Of Manitoba - When You Left The Fire

Kanada #2

The Wilderness Of Manitoba stammen nicht aus der Wildnis Manitobas, sondern aus dem davon östlich gelegenen Bundesstaat Ontario. Dabei ist die Musik des Quartetts wie gemalt für die Einsamkeit und Weitläufigkeit des Präriestaates.

"When You Left The Fire" ist nach der "Hymns Of Love And Spirit" EP (2009) der erste Longplayer der Band und geprägt vom Harmoniegesang Melissa Daltons und ihrer vier männlichen Mitstreiter (Will Whitwham, Scott Bouwmeester, Stefan Banjevic und Sean Lancaric). Hinzu kommen Folk-typische Instrumente wie Ukulele, Banjo, Cello, Mundharmonika und Lap Steel Gitarre, die den schlichten Sound erweitern, aber nie überladen. So entsteht moderne Folkmusik, die sich an den 60er Jahre-Vorbildern orientiert ohne dabei einfach abzukupfern, und für Abende rund ums Lagerfeuer bestens geeignet scheint. Egal, ob in der Wildnis Manitobas oder anderswo.

"November"

Freunde von The Magic Numbers, The Low Anthem, Fleet Foxes oder Low sollten The Wilderness Of Manitoba eine Chance geben, sich von Clips überzeugen lassen oder weiteren Quellen vertrauen:

In between accessible, melodic opener "Orono Park" and the closing 13 minutes of pure, crackling atmosphere fall an assortment of evocative indie folk ramblings. Although the band's reverb-y, choral-style vocals are reminiscent of Fleet Foxes, there's too much distinctive musical chemistry on When You Left The Fire to permit the comparison to stick for long. The churchy vibe created by the choir of singers and the cathedral-ceiling resonance are peeled back, at times, to make way for a simple, plucked acoustic sound, creating a nice balance that keeps the album fresh. The tremendous blooming of "Summer Fires" into a hair-raising, harmony-heavy slice of symphonic glory, the blissed-out jam that ends "Native Tongue" and the poignant banjo line of "In The Family" all stand out on this unique, challenging, diverse recording.
(exclaim.ca)

Their debut full-length, When You Left the Fire, expands upon their Hymns of Love and Spirits EP with its peaceful ambience, dreamy four-part harmonies and laid-back folk melodies. It’s immediately evident that aspects of nature have heavily influenced everything from lyrics to the general mood of the record. Lone female vocalist Melissa Dalton shines, complementing the layers of male vocals (provided by Will Whitwham, Scott Bouwmeester and Stefan Banjevic) on songs such as “Orono Park.” And though the album’s mostly ambient, songs like “Summer Flies” and “Hardship Acres” provide a stronger folk twang and swinging rhythms. It may not be fall now, but When You Left the Fire is a phenomenal collection of songs perfect for a relaxing afternoon all year round.
(eyeweekly.com)

"Orono Park"