Montreal-based artist Kandle’s fifth studio album, Danger To Dream (released October 25), lives up to its title. Pushing boundaries and genres, blending styles and moods, Kandle’s indie spirit shines through as she bravely dives into the shadows and emerges as a stronger, more enlightened artist.
Self-produced with collaboration from her partner, Jeff Mitchell, the album is an intense exploration of deeply personal, painful, and erotic themes. It lingers in your subconscious long after you’ve finished listening.
Drawing from both her visual and auditory skills, Kandle weaves a fantastical web of indie rock, trip-hop, and jazz, creating a unique sound that is as haunting as it is seductive.
Beginning with “Intro,” Kandle’s eerie stream-of-consciousness narration layered with hypnotic piano and operatic harmonies grabs you by the throat—not too hard, though. Her thumb presses softly on your jugular so you can breathe, but you can’t move.
“Never Gonna Love You” takes the seduction to the next level with Jeff Mitchell’s Iggy Pop-style vocals and steamy guitar riffs. Their chemistry cannot be denied; it could easily be on a James Bond soundtrack. Which begs the question: why isn’t Kandle scoring films? The entire album is cinematic. In “Seen It Before,” she even states that she’s living in a movie.
The visual storytelling, experimental instrumentation, and vocal arrangements create an otherworldly listening experience. Electronica meets jazz with the innovative drumming of the super-talented Yato Nakoussi, and Jeff is actually playing that funky trumpet in “Interlude.”
“Wallpaper” is one of my favourites, with its high-pitched strings, distortion, and fuzzy guitar. It has a strong Portishead feel and an unexpected saxophone solo that somehow works.
The vulnerability in Kandle’s voice on “St. Paul’s,” as she asks, Why am I still here? will break your heart. Based on a traumatic hospital experience, Kandle is vocal about her struggles with endometriosis, alchemizing her pain into music.
“Live a Lie” reminded me of Kate Bush’s Sensual World but with a little more weight. Jeff’s guitar moans and meows as Kandle laments in her ethereal voice:
I don’t wanna save a world that doesn’t want to save me.
The title track ends the album on a powerful note. With Debra Jean Creelman on supporting vocals, it has a Dark Side of the Moon vibe—dramatic and cinematic, with a vulnerability and sensuality that is uniquely Kandle.
Danger To Dream is one of those albums that gives you something new each time you listen to it. There are so many tones and layers that, at first, you may feel sensory overload. You need to surrender and just allow it to unravel.
This is what happens when artists are given a safe space to create. They can express their truths. And dare to dream.
Annette Aghazarian
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