Entertainment

Under The Weather, new album by Homeshake

19. Nov, 2021

Under The Weather has just been released – get around it. The fifth studio album from Homeshake is the solo project of Montreal-based musician Peter Sagar.

Work on the album began in 2019 and as the name suggests, it deals with a time in Sagar’s life when he was not well – in fact he was dealing with serious depression. The album’s sounds are a representation of, and release for, his feelings from that time.

The first full-length track after the intro is ‘Feel Better‘, an account of Sagar’s futile attempt to shake himself from his mood, and the despair that comes with failure. The album then falls into ‘Vacuum,’ which despite its pepped-up bass deals with being tense and unable to be satisfied. Over its 12-track length, the album is consistent in this theme.

Sagar enlisted the help of Jerry Paper’s Lucas Nathan to produce the album, an involvement he credits some of the edge of the album to. Nathan seems to have been a good influence, for without some of the punchier riffs and elements, Under The Weather could easily have become dreary. Instead, it is melodic and evocative.

The single ‘Passenger Seat’ was released with an animated video directed by Pete Sharp, and features a bizarre outer-space scene complete with spaceships, aliens and psychedelia. The ethereal vocals of the track suit the video quite neatly. A fresh bass and drum groove left me feeling like I was in a space bar listening to an alien with six arms play a one-man show. The confluence of audio and visual is entirely wacky and entirely enjoyable.

Throughout the album, instruments languidly plod along creating a lo-fi soundscape. Sagar used to work with Mac DeMarco and it shows – like in the latter’s music, syrupy synths and guitars shimmer through almost every song.

Under The Weather is drenched in lethargy, seemingly Sagar’s depression manifested in music. Whether this makes for good or bad music is up for discussion. My mood was undoubtedly brought down during my first listen. But there is music for the entire gamut of human emotion, and there is nothing wrong with listening to – and feeling – some gentle melancholia. There is also some undeniable funk to the bass lines, which grow on you with every listen.

Under The Weather is now available via SHHOAMKEE / Sinderlyn / Remote Control.