Shaina Hayes Kindergarten Heart
Several new records caught my attention in the month of February. Madi Diaz brought us Weird Faith, an album-length rumination on the psychological aspects (both good and bad) of romantic relationships. Luke Sital-Singh puts his personal stamp on five interesting cover songs on his new EP, Across The Evening Sky. And the new record from Hurray For The Riff Raff, The Past Is Still Alive, is probably my favorite since Small Town Heroes in 2014. All of these are worth your attention.
My pick of the month, though, is Kindergarten Heart, from Montreal singer/songwriter Shaina Hayes. As is so often the case, I hadn’t heard of Hayes before this (her second) record. Nobody who has read my posts in the past will be surprised to learn that this is a collection of easy-going songs that fall somewhere between folk and indie rock. What captures my attention most is the variety Hayes presents without ever straying from within that framework. Since hearing this record, I’ve read that Hayes holds an agriculture degree, and made her living as a farmer in rural Quebec until just recently, when she decided to focus on her music instead. If this record is any indication of what’s to come, I’m glad she made that choice.
Get some music in your ears, everybody!
