Canasta - Find the Time

Reviewed by Theresa Killebrew

My friend Matt Priest is the front man of this band. My friend Colin plays the drums. As a matter of fact, I would happily call all the members of this band friend. I have to get that out of the way, because I am sure that someone who isn't friends with the band should be reviewing their debut E.P. I just have to do it though. I would rather listen to Canasta then anything on the radio, anything on MTV, and most music I go to see at shows. I think it would be this way whether I knew them or not. Matt's heavily stylized vocals have been compared to Rufus Wainwright, Geddy Lee of Rush, and the Decemberists. The six members of the band bring an eclectic range of influences, from Belle and Sebastian and Brian Wilson, to Autechre and Hungarian folk music. Somehow they fuse it all together into consistently great songwriting and my favorite night out at a show. Their dedication to the craft of making good music is apparent in everything they do. Each individual instrument's part, violin, piano, electric piano, guitar, bass, drum and frequent trombone is meticulously written and equally important to each song, making Canasta a fun test of the true music lover's ear. It costs five dollars to experience their E.P. and it's a worthy investment.

Originally posted in Issue 1.1, August 2004