As some of the finest musicians Brooklyn has to offer, it’s hard to believe Laura Stevenson & The Cans haven’t achieved the epic fame their music demands.
The band began as the solo project of Stevenson, who started to pen her own songs following time served with Bomb the Music Industry. Still an avid collaborator with the Baldwin collective, members of The Cans have a similar background, playing in Latterman and The Best Thing Ever respectively. After rave support slots with BTMI!, Maps & Atlases and Cults, in 2008 The Cans released their debut A Record to a phenomenal online reception. The album was re-released in April 2011 by Don Giovanni Records, alongside sophomore album Sit Resist.
Pinning The Cans’ sound isn’t an easy task, namely because they attempt something never attempted before. They can jump from subtle folk, to bluegrass, to rock, to punk and back again within the bat of an eyelid. Stevenson can manipulate her voice to sound kitsch and rabid at any one time; she can put out stars and light them back up again. I’d be unsurprised if she spends most of her time walking on her hands. One minute you’re listening to a leftfield take on acoustic music; the next you’re basked in a fervour that borders shouty, punchy hysteria. And it always works; there are never any flaws.
Although Sit Resist has so far only been released in the US, you can order an import from here.
