The Buttless Chaps — Cartography

Cartography is a mesmerizing, virtual magnum opus from Vancouver's The Buttless Chaps. While previous Chaps albums have always tested the boundaries between organic folk and synthetic electronica, Cartography is an even more aggressive exploration of this binary, resulting in a beautifully wrought, complex and cohesive outing. It's not a concept album, but it sounds like one. The cold electro elements present in tracks like "The Opera," with its eerily beautiful vocal distortions, are balanced out by the more rustic sounds in "Water By The Wayside" and "Coal Grey Sky." It evokes western society's perennial dilemma: the constant tug-of-war between things urban and rural, modern and traditional. Cartography explores existence in a broken world while tossing out threads of hope. Dave Gowans' rich, ominous vocals are sweetened by Ida Nilsen's backing contributions, particularly on standout rocker "Broken Transit Broken Soil." I smell a potential 2009 Polaris Music Prize nomination.

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