Will Powers’ newest single, ‘Toil’, taken from the LP ‘Snake-Skinned’, is the sound of malaise painted in vibrant 60s psychedelia, seeping into modern consciousness with each brashed-out twang and magnetically numbed indie vocal. The undertaking, led by songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Oli Palkovits, attracts from Sudbury’s resolve to withstand despair and apathy, channelled via Palkovits’ signature occult psych punk and angular but fluid preparations.
Because the poetry of ‘Toil’ unfurls, it delivers a sardonic fable of fortitude, laying naked the emotional tax of relentless actuality – a world constructed to shatter your soul lengthy earlier than your physique breaks. The lyricism pulses with world-weary realism, every line delivered with a simple ache, whereas the instrumental layering invitations listeners to undergo the synaesthetic present. Simply as you agree into the folk-infused, acid-tinged panorama, the monitor dissolves the boundaries of its influences, pulling synth traces to the floor, proving that nostalgia and trendy malaise can occupy the identical fevered house.
The LP marks a return to Sudbury for Palkovits, who wrote a lot of Will Powers’ earliest materials in Montreal earlier than assembling a group of native luminaries: Jon Danyliw (bass), Dylan Kelly (drums), and Matt Beech (keys, guitar). With a Northern Ontario Music and Movie Award already on the shelf and previous appearances at M for Montreal, River & Sky, and Up Right here Pageant, ‘Toil’ doesn’t hassle with false optimism or saccharine consolation. It’s a synaesthesia-inducing synthesis of favor, substance, sardonic soul, and sonic scintillation.
‘Toil’ is now obtainable to stream on all main platforms; for the total expertise, watch the official music video on YouTube.
Assessment by Amelia Vandergast