If i was a betting (wo)man, I would put the few measly dollars that I have on a Chad VanGaalen win tonight. I’m 87% sure certain that when it shakes out, he’ll be taking home the Polaris Music Prize.
It’s a beaut and he’s a critical darling. At the end of the day (quite literally) it’ll be the critics making the call this fine evening.
mp3: Chad VanGaalen – Cries Of The Dead
I was introduced to Patrick Watson in 2006 when I went into an HMV on my lunch break and the guy working told me to buy Close To Paradise. He even promised to refund my money if I didn’t like it. Turned out that I didn’t want my money back. Not the best story, but they can’t all be.
I think Wooden Arms is even better than it’s predecessor, while it’s just as pretty as Close To Paradise, it’s clunkier and a bit more of a sound-circus. It reminds me ever-so-slightly of Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs. If Close To Paradise hadn’t taken the second Polaris Music Prize in 2007, I would spend all day with my fingers crossed hoping to celebrate Wooden Arms tonight. That said, I just think the chances of a second win are unlikely, but this album deserves all the praise it gets.
