The musical alias of Canadian artist Dev Travis, Polar Island Parkway has delivered his first full-length album, bringing together a fine blend of noise-punk, Midwest Emo, and heartfelt indie rock that is sure to delight.
Titled ‘Gopherwood!’, the album was released under Dev’s own indie label Lamebird Records, and delivers nine rustic yet loveable songs (along with five bonus tracks if you check out his Bandcamp page). Cut from various genres, ‘Gopherwood!’ is everything we’ve come to love about the independent scene, offering free-flowing creative energy, a cacophony of styles, and some truly emotive moments tossed together into thirty-six vibrant and engaging minutes.
Straight from the offset tracks like ‘The Garden’ and ‘The Nightly Moth’ hit heard, delivering some gorgeous personal moments that are backed by emerging strands of indie rock and bold, soaring choruses. It’s an opening that grips you tightly, and in truth, the album doesn’t really let go until the closing notes of ‘Alberta’ fade to silence. Throughout, there is plenty to enjoy, with each track rallying around a distinct sound and style. It’s an album that really does deliver something for everyone, ensuring it’s entertaining, while also wonderfully honest and personal.
Speaking to us about the album and some of his personal choices, Dev explained, “I loved recording all the songs but 'The Nightly Moth' stands out as a personal favorite. It was loosely inspired by Jack Kerouac's novel 'Big Sur', but it's mostly just a song about how harmful inaction can be and how painfully easy it is to fall into the trap of becoming bitter when you aren't where you want to be.” He continued, “‘The Garden’ is an introspective and personal track asking some big questions about morality and God, inspired by Hieronymus Bosch's painting 'The Garden of Earthly Delights'. 'Just My Luck' is a two-part song with a story, [and] 'Mounted Police' is a song about developing a more positive outlook and how bittersweet it can be to close a chapter in your life and start a new one.”
A project that holds firm to the same vibrancy as some of his past projects, ‘Gopherwood!’ is a worthy next step for Polar Island Parkway. On his Bandcamp page, Dev stated that this album was the most serious he’s ever taken his music, and it shows, with each song lovingly crafted and worthy of all the praise we can give.
You can stream the new album above via Spotify, and make sure you check out Dev’s social media pages below for more on his Polar Island Parkway project.
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