• Artist: Visqueen
• Album: Message To Garcia
• Label: Local 638
• Release: 2009
• Links: Official Site, MySpace

It would be an understatement to say that a lot has happened in the five years since Visqueen released their second album, Sunset On Dateland. During that time, the group’s line-up rotated several times and singer Rachel Flotard appeared on two Neko Case records and toured as a member of Case’s band. In 2008, Flotard’s father George succumbed to cancer after Rachel had devoted a large chunk of the decade to taking care of him. Visqueen has returned with a solidified line-up and a record that is dedicated to the memory of Flotard’s father. Message To Garcia has its melancholy moments, but the record is dominated by Visqueen’s brand of mature power-pop that shines thanks to a refined confidence and more hooks than you can count.

Sometimes your allies rub off on you in the best possible way. Neko Case appears on five songs on Message To Garcia. Her presence is felt most notably on opener “Hand Me Down” and the equally outstanding “Forgive Me.” It is hard not to deliver when you have two beautiful voices like Flotard and Case sharing the mic. Case doesn’t appear on album centerpiece “So Long,” but her fingerprints are all over the gentle country ballad. By showcasing Flotard’s wide-ranging talent, it is a welcome reprieve in the middle of a hard-hitting album. Visqueen may have added two new members (Tom Cummings, Cristina Bautista), but Ben Hooker returns and his vigorous drums are an essential element to Visqueen’s sound.

Visqueen are picking up where they left off five years ago and they haven’t lost the momentum that gained them the attention of Ms. Case and many others. Not every record has to blow you away in order for it to be an enjoyable experience. Sometimes you just want to hear a well-crafted rock record and that is what Visqueen have brought to the table with Message To Garcia. There is nothing to genuinely dislike about this band. With a charismatic lead singer and the ability to fit what feels like a million hooks into a single track, Visqueen has a lot going for them. They almost make it look too easy.

• MP3: Hand Me Down

Loscil – Strathcona Variations (10/6/09)

If I sat down and crafted a list of the decade’s most underrated electronic artists, Loscil would be at the top. Scott Morgan, the Vancouver resident who is behind this quintessential headphone music, has been marginally quiet (aside from several compilation appearances and remixes) since the Kranky release of 2006’s Plume. Fortunately, his output is about to pick up again. On October 6th, Ghostly International will release Strathcona Variations, a digital EP featuring three new songs. Even better, the discography section of the official Loscil page reveals that Kranky will release a new full length by Morgan in 2010 titled Endless Falls. I should also note that Morgan has been playing drums for Destroyer on occasion. He performed with Dan Bejar’s acclaimed group over the weekend in New York as part of the Wordless Music Series. This isn’t the first time Morgan has collaborated with Destroyer. He had previously contributed a remix to the vinyl edition of 2006’s Destoyer’s Rubies.