Spun: Apostle of Hustle

By Peter Hemminger

The line between Broken Social Scene (Toronto’s collectivist indie-pop superstars) and Apostle of Hustle (ostensibly Andrew Whiteman’s solo outing) isn’t immediately apparent. Both projects feature sprawling, distorted pop filtered through the pretensions and intricacies of some of Canada’s most artfully minded musicians. Both feature revolving doors of artists, overlapping in many instances, like the sultry Feist and Whiteman himself. If it weren’t for the Apostle moniker, one might assume Folkloric Feel was intended as the new BSS.

But, the difference lies in tone. Where BSS revels in their pop bombast, the songs on Folkloric Feel are more shambling. The title track begins with sparse acoustic pickings before moving on to full out fuzz-pop, a catharsis over the course of its eight minutes. Hints of African influences bubble to the surface, particularly in the multi-faceted percussion.

Matters of nomenclature aside, there’s no doubt Folkloric Feel is an impressive album. It maintains the same balance of artfulness and accessibility that made Broken Social Scene so important to the Canadian musical landscape.