Canadians are known for quietly putting together respectable, accomplished work that is unfortunately not as noticed south of (their) border. Wintersleep is no exception. Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, the group has released a number of great indie-rock records that deserve attention in America. The Great Detachment is no exception.
Maybe the band will get notice with the strong lead off track, “Amerika”, their big alt-rock take on the continent/country/concept. The Great Detachment is straightforward indie-rock, with only a few of the electronic touches (such as on “More Than”) that is so popular these days. But the band puts their music together so well that they don’t need extra bells or whistles. There’s driving indie-rock (“Santa Fe”, “Freak Out”), but also the sadder fate (“Shadowless”), and even brighter tones (“Love Lies”).
The tenth season of hit-in-Canada comedy Trailer Park Boys just came out on Netflix, another great Halifax creation, and like those Boys, Wintersleep once again deserves Amerikan attention.