Stick Around for Joy

Toronto's Ohbijou play gorgeous orchestral pop that's both expansive and understated, huge and intimate. I've been lucky enough to see them play twice, once in a cathedral and once in a small club. In the steeple of Toronto's Music Gallery their songs took on chilling emotional heights; downstairs at New York's Knitting Factory, they played a quiet but dynamic set that won everyone over.

Ohbijou - The Otherside (Remix)

Swift Feet for Troubling Times (2007)

Their remastered debut ends with this soaring version of "The Otherside," which races through what was first a darker, lilting ballad. I love how it just swells, this kind of unfolding sweetness that's one of the band's real strengths. They know how to pull back then race forward in such a way that the songs gradually reveal themselves, like a joy that bubbles up to the surface.

Ohbijou - Favourite Skin

Swift Feet for Troubling Times (2007)

"Favourite Skin" is achingly slow, and so so sparse. It has a real patient beauty to it, especially those strings going in to the chorus. Casey Mecija sings of the devotion you feel for someone through thick and thin, wherever you go.

Also if you drop by their website make sure you listen to "Steep"-- it' a stunner.

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p.s. Hi, I'm Dan, and I'll be joining Brian here at Bows Plus Arrows. We both studied under a heroic High School Biology teacher, where Brian introduced me to the magic of Pavement and The Anniversary. Since then I've moved to Toronto to study audio production. Toronto's home to some amazing bands that I'll sure be writing a ton about.

Right now I'm back in California for the summer and stooooked to be writing here. I'll make a Muxtape for next time to say Hi; the website's not working too well for me right now.