The Hidden Cameras — Origin:Orphan

Expect to see Origin:Orphan, The Hidden Cameras' follow-up to 2006's Awoo, in many discussions about the 2010 Polaris Music Prize over the next nine months or so.

Joel Gibb and company start things off a bit differently with the swirly, eastern-influenced, nearly seven-minute "Ratify The New" before returning to their typical brand of "gay church music" on first single "In The NA." "He Falls To Me" recalls the best of The Smell Of Our Own, while "The Colour Of A Man" has one of the catchiest choruses of 2009 and things slow down a bit with "Walk On."

But it wouldn't be a Hidden Cameras record without some kind of borderline inappropriate sexual reference from Gibb. Origin:Orphan's version of "Golden Streams" is the hilarious "Underage," with lyrics that are an obvious attempt to shock. Good on Gibb for putting the intolerant prudes in their place.

There are absolutely no bad tracks on this one, and while it's not quite their best work, it may just be the finest thing they've released since The Smell Of Our Own. It will be an outrage if Origin:Orphan doesn't at least make the long list for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize.

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