After several years of anticipation, Chicago’s much loved orch-pop sextet, Canasta, has finally released their second album, The Fakeout, The Tease and The Breather. But listeners should be thanking their stars that the band took their time on this album. Filled with detailed orchestration, plenty of emotion, and carefully planned harmonies, this album speaks to the layers of orchestration that Canasta can produce.

Canasta came to immediate light and sent critics swooning after releasing their debut album, We Were Set Up, in 2005. In 2008 the band released a remix of We Were Set Up where local Chicago favorites Office made an appearance and again Cansata received high praise.

The Fakeout, The Tease and The Breather has taken Chicago’s music scene by storm and reaffirmed all the previous gushing from music critics. The album is filled with an array of songs from upbeat, quirky, pop tunes to delicately created, melancholy ballads all backed by chimey guitars, passionate violins, dramatic keys, and intricate harmonies by lead vocalists Matt Priest and Elizabeth Lindau.

An album takes a chance by opening with a ballad, especially one that runs nearly 7 minutes. However, Canasta’s opening song “Becoming You” produces a slow intensity that entices the listener to keep with them. The band starts the song by mixing ethereal organ chords of Ian Wilson with Jeremy Beckford’s prolonged guitar strumming reminiscent of bands like Mono. After a moment Priest comes in with his soft, high tenor vocals, creating the energy for the song. From there, it builds with Lindau’s violin, Josh Lava’s relaxed rock drum beat and an upbeat piano from Kyle Mann. Towards the end, the song erupts into a chorus of voices, fast moving classical piano, and violin. Building a song to a working end crescendo isn’t easy. Go too fast and you’ve fried the emotions of the listener, but go too slow and you’ll bore them. But Canasta makes it work with the smart transitions and well rounded flow.

The second song on the album, “Mexico City”, portrays the quirky, lighthearted sound of Canasta. They use the same bubbly, pop synth sounds as bands like Phoenix, but keep it grounded with organic instruments like piano, violin and driving drums. Priest harnesses the power of his voice in this song, growling and vibrato-ing his zeal into the lyrics.

“I Don’t Know Where I Was Going With This” is a slower song with a swaying rhythm to it. Priest paints a very sad story of a relationship that has lost its spark. Like “Becoming You”, this song builds to a climax at the end where the listener is enveloped in layer upon layer of synth, violin, powerful drum beat with plenty of cymbal crashes and a chorus of voices. The details of this song are what make it unforgettable. For example, Lindau has stepped back from the mic in the recording and let her voice go, making it seem more like a wailing cry. Priest’s voice matches Lindau’s with a quiet sadness that compares to master story teller Paul Heaton formerly of The Beautiful South. Priest’s lyrics are powerful and haunting with phrases like, “Reached out, got bit in the dark. You’ve been on the job a little longer than you wanted.”

“Appreciation” is another gem on this album. The influence of Tori Amos threaded throughout the piano in the whole song. But Canasta adds several more worldly layers using Spanish sounding trumpets, wild west-esque guitar riffs, traditional gypsy violin, and melodica. All the while, Priest tells the story of an insane man being taken away because the voices in his head set him up. The song weaves in and out of quietly intense and powerfully emotional while Priest uses the full range of force of his voice.

The Fakeout, The Tease and The Breather has plenty to offer fans and new listeners to Canasta. Each carefully constructed song holds vast ranges of instrumental skill and emotional expression all while taking pages from some classic influences.
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Catch Canasta on Friday, 8/20 at the Lincoln Hall! Tickets are available right now at Lincolnhallchicago.comfor $10.

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Stream The Fakeout, The Tease and The Breather in its entirety right now at Canastamusic.com/audio.

Russian Circles

Russian Circles offer powerful, deft instrumental rock. Brings to mind fellow instrumentalists (and Chicagoans), Pelican. With Plague Bringer (industrial/grindcore insanity/awesomeness) and Lichens.

Friday, 5/1 at Bottom Lounge. $12/14

OFFICE

OFFICE = lively pop collective with taut guitars, synth-driven euphoria, and hooks that would have Nick Lowe dancing along to. With The Loyal Divide, Kyle Andrews, The Seedy Seeds, Coltrane Motion.

Sat, 5/2 at Double Door, $18/20.

Aleks and the Drummer

Aleks and the Drummer are an echo-y grimy keyboard/drum duo with an enticing cabaret-pop awareness. Fresh off their recent Dave Sitek-produced EP, the band will likely not disappoint. With Jeremy Jay(breezy, Californian pop), Kristeen Young, Bengal Lancer.

Sat, 5/2 at Empty Bottle, $ 8