A group of friends from the Schulich School of Music at Montreal’s McGill U got together to form a vintage seventies soul-pop band, and it works pretty well. The band’s curious name, Something at the Bottom of the Lake, doesn’t really colour the music, which is quite rooted in the genre’s stylistic standards. Testing the Waters, nevertheless, expresses itself with some contemporary accents, as well as some Latin traits carried by certain members of the quintet. The EP opens with Conversations, a lively trek that evokes modern popularity in the context of the influence of social media. The pleasant tone of the singer Sophie Lane reminds me a bit of Tammi Terrell. Funk Monster is more laid-back than its title suggests, while Giltters and Shiny Things has a bit of sarcasm on the theme of luxury in a somewhat detached groove attitude, like “we’re above this”. Rather successful. The smooth ballad If You Fell In Love With Me has bluesy elements, while Send Me A New Love surprises with an a cappella intro that transforms into an Afro-spiritual, which in turn morphs into muscular funk with rock colours. Nice. There is still a lack of overall coherence and a sense of holistic direction, but what we hear demonstrates a real expressive strength and a potential full of beautiful promises.
We like it very much.
Esteban Montana Martinez (guitar, vocals)
Sophie Lane (lead vocals)
Luc Langille (piano, vocals)
João Menegale-Barbi (bass)
Parker Siemens (drums)
