It’s truly remarkable what one person is able to do when immersed in the field of music. The plight of the solo musician is as intimate a setting as the field gets; no creative discord, not too many moving parts, just us and the decorative soul of the artist.
It’s like that old saying; give a man a guitar, he’ll play a rough Brown Eyed Girl at a campfire. Teach a man to play guitar, he’ll become a one-man Smashing Pumpkins. We’re not quite sure how Fredericton’s Joel Strauss was taught in the ways of the six-string, but his latest EP, Cross The Desert, is five steps in the right direction towards becoming the Atlantic Canadian Billy Corgan. Homely, precise, and engaging, Strauss’s latest five-track EP is the latest in a line of works that has seen him gain acclaim from many outlets and fellow artists.
His titular track, “Cross the Desert,” is a prime example of Strauss’s signature style; deft and entrancing instrumentals, endearing and hospitable lyrics about crossing the desert to be with someone, and a voice that could stand out in crowds of thousands, channelling the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins, Our Lady Peace, and Bob Dylan. The majority of the EP follows suit, with Strauss showing us a new way to employ his many skills with every measure, from the light-hearted “Sweet Melody” to the more sombre “Curious.”
But it’s “Railroad Car” that stands out in particular. Strauss employs melodies that are a bit darker, giving off vibes of an insurmountable journey or task, before he puts himself at the epicentre of it, channelling it into his own power.
The tune very much feels like a glimpse of a dormant style that Strauss wants to tease us with for just a bit longer. He’s already got the voice to lead an alternative rock band, and “Railroad Car” sheds a rough light on what that could look like.
With his well-defined artistic goals and his plethora of musical talents to boot, Joel Strauss is bound to stay on the up-and-up, and Cross the Desert will serve that trajectory just as well as it serves the ears.