Sound Notes: The Commonwealth

Uncommon wealth: (l-r) Nicholas Kuhar, Patrick Burke and Andrew Kuhar

Between July 2010 and this February, multi-instrumentalists Patrick Burke, Andrew Kuhar and percussionist Nicholas Kuhar banded together as The Commonwealth in their Collinwood home-cum-recording studio to create Souvenir. The six-track EP is soaked in reverb, the songs restrained, the lyrics laconic. Souvenir demonstrates great potential for a fleshed out long player, though provides a fittingly halcyon soundtrack for the summer months ahead. 

Led by the blue-eyed soul vocals of Andrew Kuhar, who also handles piano, electric, acoustic and bass guitars, "Elephant" – already getting regular spins on local college radio – is a resonating piece with a steely Radiohead-esque current that's punctuated with enough distortion and deliberate cymbal splashes to cheekily spike the mix. The timbre of analog keys (à la Hammond B3) and nuanced percussive flirtations lay the framework for languid, twinkling guitar lines, and Andrew's trembling falsetto vocal melody, where he repeats "suddenly feel sorrow for you," lulling for more than four minutes on "Good Bye Wild."

"The Goldrush" is dramatic, more Nick Drake than Coldplay, with a spartan, somber arrangement that's quietly emotive. Nicholas Kuhar's stellar drum work exploits the percussive spectrum of his kit, tending to steady floor tom-rhythm aside metallic rim clicks to give the track needed dimension.

"Indian Summer" is the EP's most sprightly track, as Andrew and the rest of the outfit drift into a nostalgic, psych-rock, riff-heavy groove. Fans of Iron & Wine will appreciate the subdued sentimentality of "Ready, Ready" with delicately plucked acoustic guitar, minimalist piano and breathy vocal harmonies, injected with colorful string and brass passages. The 20-plus minute EP closes on "Bloomed," an atmospheric send off to a record that sounds unlike most of the band's twentysomething peers. More than a one-off keepsake, Souvenir warrants repeat visits – and an eagerness to experience what the next trip will bring.

LISTEN

"Elephant"

"Indian Summer"

Purchase the album here.