The Burnettes

Chris and Cora Burnette are Canada’s answer to the White Stripes. Except they actually are married, they do produce real lo-fi music and they accept the fact that a bass is essential despite the lack of members.

This Vancouver-based team’s second release, We’d Better Be Dreaming, is an eclectic sound emporium of shoe-gaze, folk and alt-country styles mixed with a punk edge when Chris lends his voice to the few tracks on the album he sings on. Cora’s honest and natural vocals are reminiscent of female singers like Mary Timony and bring forth a lacklustre, unpretentious mandate that’s nostalgic of an early nineties sound.

Chris’ vocals, though scarce, sneak in a raw energy and grittiness reminiscent of Jeff Magnum on tracks like ‘littletown’. The recording is scratchy and pure, maintaining the lo-fi quality that is distinct to their sound. It’s hard to pinpoint what style direction they are trying to pursue but this naïve flair adds to the sweetness of this record. Their simplicity and innocence maintains the DIY mantra that bands like the Beat Happening initiated. They make you want to listen to early K records while making your own t-shirts.

We’d Better…is a truly rootsy effort, minus the hippy shit. It would be interesting to see how they perform on stage though. The whole duo act image could be one big façade since they each take on many different instruments on the album. Maybe Jack and Meg were on to something when they abandoned a whole section, what you hear on the album is what you’ll see live.