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Canadian band Clear builds bridge between folk, jazz, and rock

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The recent buzz over Canada's indie music scene, taken to dizzying heights with the Grammy coup from the Arcade Fire, has neglected to shed light on the country's jazz offerings. Considering that jazz hasn't stirred the imagination of young music fans in decades, that isn't such a shock. However, Clear might be the band to build a bridge between the graying temples of the jazz crowd and the adventurous tastes of collegiate hipsters.

A trio featuring vocalist Sue Johnson, guitarist Christian Patterson, and cellist/bassist/keyboardist Ken Kanwisher, Clear has developed a positive reputation in their native land, having performed at numerous regional festivals. With inspirations rooted in folk (Joni Mitchell), rock (the Beatles), and jazz (Duke Ellington), Clear corral their varied stylistic influences into a cohesive whole. On their new album Never Falling Again, Clear defy easy categorization yet the songs remain accessible to the most conservative of ears.

The heart of Clear is in the way Johnson's crestfallen voice literally melts into Patterson's immaculate guitar playing. The songs seem to have been written to highlight their individual—and collective—qualities. On “If Only I Could," Johnson and Patterson locate the sweet spot of melody; together they produce a mesmerizing marriage of cinematic atmosphere and profound longing. Their music produces an irresistible pull, reeling in the ears with low-key touches that nevertheless weigh with class and substance. “Saddest Words" echo the ghostly allure of vintage Cowboy Junkies, but Kanwisher's mournful cello adds a classical vibe that their compatriots never had.

Is it jazz? Is it folk? Clear are never clear with their allegiances. It doesn't matter. What is Clear is that Never Falling Again is an endlessly fascinating beauty.

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