Artist: Chad VanGaalen
Album: Shrink Dust
Genre: Indie rock, Folk, Electronica (and Country because he wants to be)
First Impression: yes Yes YES-HOOO
Rating: 5/5
When I grow up I want to invent things, I want to take things apart, I want to never grow up, I want to live in my own world, I want to inspire the future, I want to have fun… Jealous? You should be because Mr. Chad VanGaalen gets to do this everyday!
Ever since I first heard his album Soft Airplane (2008) I became not only a fan, but was immediately addicted & transfixed! His inventive style and homemade instruments make you want to create music with whatever you have lying around the house, the trick will be to find the rhythm in everyday objects, which seems to come ever so naturally to Chad.
A Calgary boy, whose self proclaimed country album Shrink Dust is definitely filled with cleverly placed slide-guitar riffs and harmonica in “Weighted Sin” and “Hangman’s Son”.
I was instantly transported to an Adventure Time landscape and wondered how it would feel to have “my eyelids ripped a little wider by arms that grow out if my shoulders”, (song lyrics from “Monster” ), in that cartoon based land I found running through my head.
You have to wonder what this “mad scientist’s” workshop would look like, most likely filled with taken-apart equipment and clay-mation scenes ready to be transformed into his next music video.
“Leaning Bells” has a similar feeling to his album Soft Airplane and with refreshingly original fun choruses that have you singing, all the time enhanced by the adventure being played out in your mind.
(I am willing to bet his favorite time of year is Halloween?)
This is my first 5/5 and there won’t be many I can assure you of that.
I’m a sucker for creativity and being yourself all the time.
Tell us what you think about the epic adventure that Shrink Dust is sure to take you on!
#EWestMusic and tell us your thoughts on the album and how you would rate it!
Thanks for reading,
Daryl (Drock) Uhrin
Favourite songs:
1 – Cut Off My Hands
2 – Where Are You?
5 – Weighed Sin
6 – Monster
8 – Leaning On Bells
9 – All Will Combine
11 – Hangman’s Son
Other Chad VanGaalen songs:
Similar Artists:
Beck
Ween
Tom Waits
My Rating System:
1 – Give it another listen, it might be your thing
2 – I like a song or two, buy what you like and support the artist
3 – Great band with a lot of talent, buy their album, tweet about it and tell the world
4 – Amazing, listen to it on repeat, every song is good, go see them live and buy the album
5 – New favourite album or band, go buy the LP, see them live, buy a t-shirt and have them sign my bare chest
11 – Because sometimes you need to crank it to 11
Daryl Uhrin
I was introduced to music through headphones on my mother’s womb. I was born with the lyrics of Rocket Man by Elton John on the tip of my tongue, and a strange urge to commit the Crime of the Century by Supertramp. I quickly found my heart belonged with the Punk/Metal/Hardcore scene. I found myself picking out the guitar, bass or drums for hours, being just amazed by the speed, talent and rawness they used to share their story, vision and experiences with us.
Favorite band: Gogol Bordello; no matter your age you will enjoy the diversity
“If the kids all united they would never be divided” -Rancid
