Matthews's Finest

This week I was torn between two choices. Should I go with the song that I like in spite of it's faults? Or the one that I like because of it's faults?I was so torn by this decision, having a very pure love for both of them, that I decided I had to present them both.

The first is a song by Ontario's newest sensation, Human Highway. The band is comprised of Nick Thorburn, the lead singer of Canadian indie ensemble Islands, and former Islands member, Jim Guthrie.

The song is a blend of Guthrie's playful songwriting and Thorburn's ear for catchy hooks. It's an excellent song but it does suffer from some of the same problems that always irked me about Islands. Namely, Thorburn's singing isn't strong enough to carry the vocal heavy parts of the song alone. Despite this however, the song triumphs absolutely in it's chorus and the first few notes should be enough to keep you interested throughout.

Check out the band's myspace for another listen, and watch out for their upcoming debut album, Moody Motorcycle.

Human Highway - The Sound (mp3)

The second song is from The Extraordinaires. The London Extraordinaires, not the Chicago ones. The song, while not heavy in the realm of production, has that essential ingredient that most music lacks: a soul. The mellow harmonies in the song are pregnant with enthusiasm. They sound like a human has actually felt them, rather than just thrown them onto a record. When listening to the chorus of this song you get the feeling that the performers accidentally left the recording equipment on and captured a particularly successful jam session. And that's what is best about this song; it's music that isn't bored with itself. The band seems to genuinely enjoy the act of performing the song. And when you have something as pure and remarkable as that, it's very easy to forgive the devil may care attitude that they have towards the recording.

The Extraodrinaires - The Warehouse Song (mp3)