Gabriel Minnikin knows how to keep a listener on their toes. “Under Her Heels”, his latest album’s lead single, paints a potential idea of what to expect from the bigger picture, but diving into the full picture of Sweet Nothings is a lesson in expecting the unexpected.
It’s exceedingly obvious that there are a lot of moving parts to Minnikin’s sound. The arrangements are larger than life, with complex, beautiful layers. This is due, in part, to the slew of Canadian artists lending their talent to his work. Feathery female harmonies are present on every track from the likes of Terra Spencer, Alana Yorke, Kristen Hatt, Mel Stone—and of course, Minnikin’s own sister Ruth. The resulting vocal chemistry brings to mind American indie-pop duo The Weepies, with the feathery female vocals perfectly complementing Minnikin’s deep drawl.
The epic arrangements are accomplished with the help of brass and woodwind by The Mellotones’ Jeffery Mosher and Jody Lyne, as well as Robbie Crowell and David Christensen. This, of course, is all on top of Minnikin’s already stellar band. The blend of voices furthers an album that’s already dynamic and spilling over with personality.
And truly, from the get-go, Sweet Nothings is positively bursting with colour. The opening track, “Pretty Little Ditty”, opens with a theatric flourish that continues on through the very last track. It’s a high-energy blend of brass and guitar, the perfect rock and roll opener.
The rest of the album is hard to pin down. Minnikin certainly proves he has a flair for the dramatics, as evidenced by the musical narrative that plays out over the course of the album. The experience fluctuates between more simplistic country “Canadiana”, to songs that feel very experimental in nature. There are even recurring motifs, a classic in musical theatre, such as the brief taste in “Owl Feather” of the earlier track, “The Downtrodden Jubilee.”
That very track is given to us halfway through the album, and is a prime example of the experiments paying off. “The Downtrodden Jubilee” is by far the most fascinating track of the bunch. It takes the grandiose feeling of “Pretty Little Ditty” and cranks up the drama, with heavenly harmonies contrasting with guttural growls and an all-around climactic build to it. If Sweet Nothings were a stage play, this song would be the shocking reveal just before the intermission. It’s an introduction to the second “act” of the album, and stands out especially when sandwiched between the weepy “Birthday Card Eyes” and “Under Her Heels”, the album’s fun but unassuming lead single.
Though it feels like a fresh start, the second leg of the album plays it relatively safe in its song choices. Minnikin houses his softest melodies here, from the twinkling harmonies on “Night Lights” to the bluesy heartbreak on “Please Forget Me.” It’s the most breathing room we’re given on a tracklist full of larger-than-life songs.
Perhaps this is to lull listeners into a false sense of security because the true finale, “Blood Harmony”, is just as demanding of attention as its predecessors but in a way that’s chillingly darker. It’s cloaked in this deep, swampy haze that will linger long after the last note has faded. In fact, though some tracks may be more understated than others, the full album is so packed with flavour that it’s guaranteed to linger as well.