Amos The Transparent - Everything I've Forgotten To Forget

"Everything I've Forgotten To Forget" is probably one of the best kept secrets of the year in Canadian indie rock. The album is by Amos The Transparent, who is actually Jonathan Chandler and Christopher Wilson from Ottawa. The music is smooth, versatile and intricate, with several layers of personality revealing itself in every track. I don't know how this CD has avoided being more of a buzz album, since it incorporates the help of a few notable guests. A quick skim of the liner notes revealed that Evan Cranley of Stars and BSS appears on the title track. That song is extremely powerful, opening with some very slight percussion before Jonathan's vocals come in, reminding me a little bit of Adam Gardner from Guster. The vocal breakdown at 2:42 is incredibly effective as it slowly builds to grand magnificence for the last minute of the song, which is a powerhouse assault of drums and horns. Another noteworthy guest comes in the form of the angelic vocals of Amy Milan on the delicately titled "After All That, It's Come To This." Amy herself jumped on board after hearing the guys perform an acapella version of the tune. That makes sense because the song is compelling in every way. From the searing vocals to its orchestral climax, this is easily one of the best songs of the year.

That doesn't mean though, that the impressive guest stars are merely a gimmick to mask an otherwise mediocre release. Far from it. The other tracks are just as good. For example, "Hard Times, Simply Come By" has an easy listening 70's Neil Young vibe to it, with just a hint of twang. "OK OK Fine Okay" is an incredibly deceptive song. The majority of the cut is a mellow, folksy ballad. Then, out of nowhere, comes some masked percussion accompanied by some mildly maniacal singing followed by electric guitars and feedback, completely altering the direction of what was an otherwise straight-ahead pop country rock song. The song segues into "The Stale Scent Of Old Beer" which can only be described as another Canadian collective epic. Do you ever get tired of those? Yah, me neither. And I can't imagine that I'll be getting tired of this album anytime soon.

Photo by Tom Svilans.

Amos The Transparent are going to be at The Legendary Horseshoe on November 8th with Two Hours Traffic. It's a must-see!

Download: After All That, It's Come To This mp3
Myspace: Amos The Transparent
Purchase: Everything I've Forgotten To Forget at mymusic.com
Video: Interview with Jonathan and Chistopher on Rogers TV youtube