The debut LP of Super Pyramid (the project of Montreal’s Ben Rowley), Comment if This Is Paradise! feels like watching summer clouds change shape–slow, beautiful, and surprisingly absorbing once you give it your attention. The album opens with « Before & After You, » all delicate piano and silvery strings that set the tone perfectly. Rowley’s voice drifts like a quiet observer, carrying a bunch of melancholy and wonder as the arrangements bloom and transpire around him. There’s something cinematic about how these songs unfold, thanks partly to the production by Rowley and a legion of friends; Dave Cherub, Gwendoline Dumontet, John Lindsay, Cody Taylor, Issac Symonds, Sam Woywitka (FHANG, SAMWOY), giving the album this warm, lived-in feel.
« Better Angels » is the closest thing to a proper anthem, with a hard-hitting yet perky sound that becomes joyous and jagged in turn. It’s got this ’70s glam rock energy underneath all the indie polish, which shouldn’t work but totally does. Meanwhile, « Slow & Easy » builds these gorgeous horn and string arrangements that make you want to close your eyes and float. The more I listen to it, « Victoria P.E.I. » is becoming my favourite track. It sneaks up on you with this hazy baroque pop feel.
Comment if This Is Paradise! is a patient record. It asks questions without expecting answers, embraces uncertainty with elegance, and never rushes toward any big emotional payoffs. The orchestral moments swell and recede like breathing, creating space for Rowley’s thoughtful lyrics to land. It’s not trying to grab you by the throat, but rather, reveal itself slowly.
