Andy Shauf: The Bearer of Bad News

    Canadian folk song-writer Andy Shauf is this weeks extra belated post (if you're actually reading on a regular basis, first thanks!, and sorry for making you wait as I've been super busy lately). Hailing from Saskatchewan  his first releases were two 8-tracks, Love and the Memories of It (2006) and Grandpa Songs (2007). The rest of his discography seems to be all over the place and it has been difficult tracing it as there is not Wikipedia entry (it's amazing how much we've come to rely on that site for information!). This was followed by a full length, Darker Days (2009); an EP, Four Songs (2009); another 8-track, Waiting for the Sun to Leave (2010); which leads us to this year with an EP length Sam Jones Feeds His Demons (March 2012) and a his latest full release, this album, The Bearer of Bad News (Nov. 6, 2012). There may be stuff missing in there I do not know about.
    The Bearer of Bad News is a compilation of sorts, including songs written from 2008-2011. I assume these songs have not been excluded from live sessions, as Andy Shauf appears to have some sort of following in that way. According to his Bandcamp mini bio he is "building a cult following" and puts on an "intimate live show". They do not appear to have been pre-released, yet there is a great sense of cohesion for songs that have been composed over the course of 3 years. Maybe one giveaway is the instrumentation? Some tracks there is this fantastically dark brooding clarinet choir with multiple vocals, presumably himself recorded over himself, while others include strings, different acoustic guitar timbres, and/or more piano. Tempos vary at times too, from slightly upbeat, to really subtle jazz, to even down tempo. One song even has roots more in 60's era rock (i.e. "Jerry Was a Clerk"). Even so, it is difficult to pinpoint and would likely lead to much misguided speculation, as I have already done.
    Andy Shauf reminds me somewhat of Sondre Lerche in The Bearer of Bad News, with quality song creation and yet simple almost pop-ish sensibilities. What I mean is, the songs are effective even though they are not super complex in form or construction. They are not, however, nearly as upbeat as Sondre Lerche, and the comparison does not last long as Andy Shauf seems to be making a name for himself. Indeed, this album could make some waves before the year is out. I, for one, just stumbled across it because of BIRP!'s December playlist, see here (his addition is at the bottom).
    I hope you take time to discover Andy Shauf's music, there are a number of places to listen. Check out his Bandcamp, which contains early and later stuff, here; while his MySpace fills in the middle, here. Also, I've put the song "I'm Not Falling Asleep" from his SoundCloud over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks'. Enjoy!