Released March 15, 2011 / Slumberland
No Fun
River To The Sea
Tangled Line
Bank Holiday
Longest Day
Hit The Grass Running
Good Ideas
Campfire
This first offering from Vancouver-based Brave Irene is energetic and addictive. Indiepop legend Rose Melberg is back, with the help of Caitlin Gilroy, Jessica Wilkin, Amanda Pezzutto and Laura Hatfield for this polished Slumberland release. The keyboard contributions from Caitlin and Jessica are priceless and play an outstanding role in these Brave Irene songs. From the opening track 'No Fun', you'll get your shuffle on. 'Tangled Line' features brilliant keyboards bouncing off each other and furious drumming which balances delicately with Melberg's silky vocals; the track is danceable, lively and warm. In a career that spans over two decades, Melberg has written some of the loveliest songs about friendship and love, 'River To The Sea' is beautiful and adds to this tradition. The opening line "I prefer the river to the sea / I'd rather come to you than let you come to me" is a perfect example of the sweet intimacy on this EP. And timeless lyrics are again displayed on the lovely 'Bank Holiday' where Melberg tenderly sings "I walked all this way and forgot it was a bank holiday / Nothing was open, still I was hoping I might see you". 'Good Ideas' is bouncy and worthy of being one of the best tracks of the year. Throughout this 18 minute release there is a sense of classic jangle pop, but with Rose Melberg in charge we shouldn't expect any less. Brave Irene have delivered a great first impression with uptempo tunes and great melodies.
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