M for Montreal continued Friday with a line-up equal parts electric and eclectic. Stand-outs from the evening came from Cult MTL’s evening show at L’Escogriffe (featuring Alex Nicol, Winona Forever, and Sorry Girls), as well as the 6th annual M for Mothland show, featuring five of the best bands from Montreal’s favourite label. Here are a few of my highlights of the evening.
Winona Forever
Vancouver indie-pop rockers Winona Forever always put on a good show. Complex, intricate arrangements marry with impeccable timing, oddball sensibilities, and a sense of chemistry that can only be gained through years of playing together. Featuring songs from across their catalogue, ranging from their latest album, Acrobat, all the way back to their 2016 debut, This is Fine. The band’s set has an undeniable polish to it that helps bring these weirdo tracks to life—whether it’s the battling guitar riffs courtesy of Rowan Webster-Shaw and frontman Ben Robertson, the rock-solid bass from Ruby Izatt, or the exceptional drumming from Alex Bingham. This is a group that has taken the time to refine their sound into something that evades comparison. If you’re after weirdo jams and the auditory equivalent of an afternoon in a sunbeam, Winona Forever is one group you shouldn’t miss.
Sorry Girls
Montreal pop dreamers Sorry Girls put on an excellent set Friday night at L’Escogriffe. With lush, soft instrumentation rising around us like warm bathwater, there was an emotional haze that settled upon us as Sorry Girls took the stage. It’s slow, deliberate, but never boring—Heather Foster Kirkpatrick’s vocals ground the swirling vortex created by her band, with beautifully delivered vocals that straddle the line of melancholy and optimism with finesse. Keys and guitar came together beautifully, evoking a strange alternate timeline where the 80s never ended and instead just became more goth and ethereal. I’ll be eagerly waiting for the next chance I get to sway to Sorry Girls.
La Sécurité
Few Montreal acts command the attention, the energy, and indeed, the respect of La Sécurité. Expertly led by the radiant Éliane Viens-Synnott, the band absolutely charged through their set of strange, entrancing art punk arrangements. Each member of the band has an extremely distinct role, with every part doing exactly what it needs to—nothing less, nothing more. This comes together into a sound and a vitality that had the room vibrating in no time at all, quickly creating a perpetual, reciprocating energy between the band and the crowd that seemed to propel both into an ever-greater frenzy. As Viens-Synnott danced and writhed on stage, exuding confidence and elegance alike, the instrumentation rose and fell in meticulous rhythm, locked in by outstandingly technical drums from Kenny Smith (Pressure Pin), pounding, urgent bass from Félix Bélisle (Choses Sauvages), and a melodic mosaic from guitarists Melissa Di Menna and Laurence-Anne. La Sécurité has often been heralded as a mega-conglomerate of some of the city’s best players brought under one spontaneous, truly unique umbrella. If you haven’t caught a La Sécurité set yet, you owe it to yourself to get into their next pit and give it hell.
