Spun: The Albertans

By Dylann Golbeck

The Albertans, hailing from Alberta, Saskatchewan and the United States, have put forth a sonically curious album with their recently released Dangerous Anything.

Initially performing under the name Sex with an Angel in 2007, the band moved to Vancouver in 2008 and took up their current name. Since then, the band has continued to change and evolve, distancing themselves slowly from their pop-influenced beginnings. The Albertans began as a seven-piece band with their album Legends of Sam Marco and have changed to a four-piece band with the release of Dangerous Anything, their third full-length album.

The album delightfully mixes the breathy vocals and ’80s analog synth of female singer Alison Yip with the relatable story-telling and clean wash of guitar by Joel Bravo, perfectly complimented by the drumming of Curtis McLean and the offbeat bass hooks by Ian Everall.

The sound is a combination of Pink Floyd-esque chord progressions — as seen in the first track of the album “Casa Aqua” — and synth reminiscent of early My Bloody Valentine. This spacious sound is mixed with the psychedelic pop sounds found in bands such as MGMT.

Tracks alternate between pop simplicity and psychedelic complexity, with off-kilter experimental instrumentals in between. Dangerous Anything leaves listeners with bittersweet sentiments derived from its dark, heavy and wandering drones in tandem with its airy vocals, extensive reverb and warm retro guitar tone. Songs such as “Begin the Beguin” are distinctly ’80s-pop influenced with a dance-like bass, whereas listeners are soothed by the almost celestial wash of noise in “Black Moon.”