Review by Andrew PattersonFor years (and years and years) now, Craig Currie aka Chief Thundercloud has been kicking against the pricks in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A heavy load put upon his own shoulders, he trudges deeper into the forests of his mind, muddying himself. And with each foray, his limbs grow a little stronger, his thoughts a little sharper, his heart a little less suffering; his tools are all worn at the handles, showing their strength and dependability.
This new 10-minute cassingle from Craft Singles is essentially a distillation of all his well-earned qualities, which is not to say that the anything is made clear. Chief Thundercloud revels in the damaged, the bruised, the buzzing; the howling and the hiss. All the small gains from years of creativity pile up here and the result is an incredibly tender, moving set of songs.
Beginning with the sound of gurgling water, ‘End Of August’ subtly moves through warbled vocals, shimmering guitar and ends with a hint of lilting piano. In a brief minute and a half, it captures perfectly the environs of late summer, where the fullness of the season is at once a blessing and a sign of its own decline.
‘Painter’s Sink’ is the Chief at his most touching. It’s an exercise in pure songcraft. There are no tricks or flickering effects at play. It is a breathtaking, lonely love song played as straight as can be. The narrative moves seamlessly from celebration to mourning, pulling the listener down in tandem.
Finally, at the pit of the rabbit hole, ‘A Girl Should’ remains shrouded and mercurial. Currie’s echoing voice gets slowly swallowed in a twisted mass of brooding guitar lines. It is a mesmerizing, expansive piece that seems to burn itself out, leaving the listener dazed and with a desire to start from the top again, where things are clearer.
