Montreal’s Karkwa, who recently won the Polaris Prize for the best Canadian album of the year (our equivalent of the Mercury prize) and supported the Arcade Fire, are now heading to the UK as part of their Autumn 2011 European tour.
Karkwa sing in French. They’re French-Canadian and they sing in their mother tongue. But judging by the awards, live audiences and record sales in North America, it has transcended the language barrier with the English-speaking North American public. And now, is all set to do the same in the UK. It was with their latest album Les Chemins De Verre (The Glass Paths) that they broke through into the mainstream consciousness, gaining popularity and critical acclaim across the board, culminating in a stunning victory at the 2010 Polaris Prize, the first French-Canadian band to win the award. The music itself is at times elegant, powerful, emotive, graceful, cinematic, immediate, yet always stays close to the central style of progressive intelligent folk rock. Karkwa’s success has not been a flash in the pan though, their wealth of songs and intense live set have been written and honed over a number of years – the Polaris was won with their fourth, not their first album. But it’s this experience, alongside the musical talent and song-writing skils that gives Les Chemins De Verre its depth and dexterity. Only a month or so ago these guys rocked an open air stage in front of 100,000 people. In the intimate confines of the Brixton Windmill and The Haunt, their incendiary live performance will surely be multiplied, amplified and intensified. It’s an overused expression in music, but with karwka it really does ring true, with their popularity and success growing every day, next time they play the UK they will be playing bigger venues, so take the chance to see them in these intimate spaces.
So give it a listen, you might not understand a word but you’re sure to be glad you tried. To stream music from Les Chemins De Verre and watch some Karkwa videos click here http://carnavalelectro.com/karkwa/sampler/
Monday 24th OctoberWindmill Brixton22 Blenheim GardensLondonSW2 5BZ www.windmillbrixton.co.uk Doors 8pm, on stage 10pm£7 adv, £8 on the door18+
Tuesday 25th OctoberThe Haunt10 Pool ValleyBrightonBN1 1NJ www.thehauntbrighton.co.uk Doors 7pm£814+ bring photo ID
