Ontario-born Keats Conlon has called Halifax home for the past five years and brings forth what she calls “a mature, full, and current representation of the artist I’ve become in my travels across Canada.” For those familiar with Conlon, Pastel Portraits presents as a pleasant progression, while new listeners will no doubt become enamoured with the singer’s delightful and delicate vocals and witty wordplay.
One would struggle to find a more aptly titled song than the EP’s opening number, “Cute”. The cheeky welcome finds the singer/songwriter strumming her ukulele and dealing with daily doldrums and downs by finding shelter in the things that make her feel cute. The song is equal parts clever and sweet and sneaks in sincerity when she acknowledges “pretty things won’t make the whole world’s problems disappear” before shifting back to a much more manageable manner of elevating her mood as the song completes.
Keats becomes inadvertently topical thanks to what she calls an “unhappy/happy stroke of fate” in the Covid lockdown. The pre-pandemic penned “Only Distance” resonates even more with its refrain that “there’s only distance between you and me”. The song serves as a love note, no doubt full of inside references and jokes only the writer and subject fully grasp; but we get a glimpse when Keats herself gives a slightly audible chuckle as she sings about “jumbled chords that we can barely play that take my breath away”. It’s like hanging out with that adorable couple we all secretly hate (purely due to deep-seated envy, obviously) but cannot help but find endearing.
Pastel Portraits ventures beyond the strict singer-and-their-guitar approach from the debut Like the Poet. This results in a richer sound overall and showcases the east coast influences of her adopted home (“Only Distance” & “Leave Room for Me”). This is her first recording to feature other artists and instruments, providing a more nuanced experience while keeping her voice and presence as the feature attraction.