The Party

Canadian singer/songwriter Andy Shauf has been continuously writing, producing and touring for several years. The hard work paid off last year when a small Portland label picked up his gorgeously stark album The Bearer Of Bad News for a rerelease, which was followed by a deal with Anti to release his newest record, The Party. Whereas Shauf’s past sound has been on the brooding side, The Party has more of a buoyant tone. “Quite Like You” stands out as a good representation of the album; a snapshot featuring Shauf’s tucked-and-doubled linear vocals with a piano hook just as smooth, tight drums tapping in the background. The easy listening and his storytelling skills are reminiscent of singers like Harry Nilsson and Paul Simon. There are a handful of songs on The Party that ride the line of sounding like alternate versions of one another, but mostly err on the side of smooth continuity that makes an album whole. Plus, who doesn’t love a party?