PLACID ANGLES (JOHN BELTRAN) - CANADA

"On Canada, these defining qualities of Beltran's work reach a new high point, evoking the towering mountain peaks, undulating forests and glacial waterways of Canada's great sprawl in every ascendant synth sequence and reverb swell. There is no one fixed approach — every track has its own distinct qualities that feed into the undulating narrative of the album. The swirling fingerpicked guitar and pointed piano chimes of opening track 'Sainte Anne' might suggest an album of ambient to follow, and certainly there are some decisive forays into beatless composition on the likes of 'Reminds Me Of The Rain' with its cavernous polysynth drones and processed vocals. Likewise 'Sweet Morning Dream' cradles the record's final stretch in a blissful cascade of gated chords.

However, the majority of Canada is driven by rhythm.