“Come with me, maybe then you will see // All that’s left of legacy.” These are the promising opening words of Clearcut 1917, one of the standout tracks from Funeral Lakes‘ beautiful sophomore album North American Martyrs. The dream pop/folk rock band of Chris Hemer and Sam Mishos, based in a small city on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, tells about reckoning with nationalism, history and settler identity in Canada. The eight new songs are the result of thesis project The Making of Martyrs: Musicians, Mythmaking, and Counter-Discourse, that interrogated the role of cultural production in sustaining Canadian national myths through a case study of Gordon Lightfoot’s Canadian Railroad Trilogy. The theme is certainly of added value, especially for those who are interested in history or enjoy unraveling myths, but musically it’s also very fascinating and atmospheric. It takes a few listens to grasp it, but then it won’t let you go.
North American Martyrs is out now digitally and on cassette (self-released). Performed, produced and recorded by songwriter Chris Hemer (vocals, guitar, bass) and Sam Mishos (vocals, keys), with additional drums and vocals provided by Arden Rogalsky, and bass guitar, upright bass and vocals by Michael Broadhead.
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