Canola Tenderfoot
'The Light Still Flickers'
(Self-Released EP 2009)

A welcome return for one of B365's personal favourites, Canola Tenderfoot follow up their debut album Winning Is For Losers with a free EP available from their website. The ethereal sound they honed on that release is surprisingly toughened up here; it's evident there's been some serious work undertaken in galvanising the beats of producer Owen Canola. On Lock Out this works very well, with the sensual vocals of Viki Canola snaking around frenetic drumwork and buzzing keys, yet still reflecting the sparse, candlelit warmth prevalent on their debut.

Nothing Set In Stone harks back to the Canlola Tenderfoot of old, with breathless shards of vocal and melody intertwined in a looping groove that more acerbic critics might label indicative of the genre that dare not speak its name, t**p h*p. But if you strip away the accumulated baggage that comes with a name like that, what are we left with? Simply put, Canola Tenderfoot reference the finer elements of downtempo electronica and twist it into their own strange shapes, and it sounds all the better for it.

Whilst Nothing Set In Stone and Play On might sit with the more orthodox material from their debut, Lock Out and Vilnius speak of a fresh direction which is maybe thanks in part to Owen's growing confidence as a producer through other remix projects. With a sharper, darker approach to beats and vocals, both these tracks are definitely the stronger of the four presented here. If you haven't picked up their debut album it comes highly recommended, and in the meantime download this EP to get to know the Canola Tenderfoot way.




Canola Tenderfoot - Vilnius (Version)



Canola Tenderfoot - Play On



Canola Tenderfoot - Lock Out



Canola Tenderfoot - Nothing Set In Stone

DOWNLOADS

Canola Tenderfoot - Vilnius (Version)
Canola Tenderfoot - Play On
Canola Tenderfoot - Lock Out
Canola Tenderfoot - Nothing Set In Stone

Full EP Zip file with all four tracks and artwork

FFI: Canola Tenderfoot Website

BUY: Canola Tenderfoot - Winning Is For Losers