Snailhouse — Lies On The Prize

Lies On The Prize is yet another collection of Mike Feuerstack's intricately constructed, beautifully-written songs. Feuerstack's lyrics are as witty as ever as he tackles topics like his own funeral ("Mahogany") and the "ennui" of punk rock ("Blue Sun"). This may also be Feuerstack's most straightforward collection of songs, but they're still intricate and cut across genres. That makes sense, since Feuerstack's collaborators aren't limited to one particular genre.

Some songs have gorgeous string backing parts, while the waltz-y "Salvation Army" contains hints of alt.country. Then there's "They Won't Believe You," which manages to be sufficiently folk-rock, yet contains horns that smack of Broken Social Scene's "Pacific Theme" at the same time. Whether you're a Feuerstack veteran or a newbie to his tunes, you'll likely be very pleased with Lies On The Prize, which I'm willing to bet will be on a lot of critics' minds when it comes time to decide next year's Polaris Music Prize nominees.

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