The Soft Province Dare to Be Risky

You could say that Jace Lasek and Michael Gardiner have poor timing, but that isn't the case. Sure, they are releasing an album as The Soft Province this summer, only a few months after their full-time gig, The Besnard Lakes, delivers its highly-anticipated The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night. Sure, it's a risky play that could result in over-saturation; however, early signs indicate that The Soft Province could stand as a new dimension of musicality for the duo, who have been friends since childhood.

Recorded partially by Laske in Montreal, and partially by Gardiner over two years in Regina, Canada, the two converged in Montreal in the summer of 2008 to sift through the numerous snippets and ideas, which they boiled down to The Soft Province's eponymous debut. While the tracklist and release date remain a mystery, the group has released the first single, "One Was a Lie," for public consumption.

Mutating guitar and levitating falsetto are the heart and brain of "One Was a Lie" and hint at the nature of the forthcoming album. If this is the case, 2010 will shine as a high point in the careers of Laske and Gardiner, and their efforts, both as The Soft Province and The Besnard Lakes, will be coveted additions to the review pages and end-of-the-year lists.

Learn:
The Soft Province on Myspace

Listen:
1 - One Was A Lie

Buy:
Three Ring Records