Album: The Black Pits EP
Artist: Jom Comyn
(BART)
Three-and-a-half stars out of five
Jom Comyn’s last album, In the Dark on 99 (All the Time, All the Time), is one of the finest to come out of Edmonton. The folk-rock effort, with hints of winter, doo-wop, ‘60s guitar rumbles, and cryptic lyrics, is intimate yet cinematic — like one of Ingmar Bergman’s films. Comyn’s new effort doesn’t match this understated majesty, but The Black Pits EP is still a gratifying listen — as the bearded troubadour sings about some of his favourite subjects, including the wind, wandering, and what it means to be alone. “When you’re crawling on the floor / Reaching out a little longer / Tremble with a flash of insight / Before it shrinks back to the corner,” he warbles on Lost In Time, a sluggish number with a warped bass line, courtesy of producer Garrett Johnson (of Brazilian Money). While Comyn (also known as Jim Cuming) enlists a different producer for each of the six songs on The Black Pits EP, including Tyler Jack Butler and In the Dark’s Eric Cheng, there’s still a cohesive flow, anchored by Comyn’s rich, reassuring vocals and woozy ’90s riffs. Standouts include the self-produced Long Life, a ramshackle piano number featuring Ian Waddell on back-up vocals; and the title track, a lighter ditty with ghostly oooohs and shimmery guitars, produced by Liam Trimble. That these two tunes are earworthy shouldn’t come as a surprise — both collaborators are members of local indie-rock gems Diamond Mind. Comyn releases the cassette edition of The Black Pits EP on Thursday, July 9 at Wunderbar, 8120 101st St. Tickets are $10 at the door. Showtime: 10 p.m. Halifax’s pop upstarts, Mauno, will open.
