12 Canadian Bands - #7 Chad Van Gaalen

If Neil Young and Daniel Johnston donated some DNA to be mixed together and formulate a new person with the combined abilities of those two men, that creature would probably sound and project an image very much along the lines of Chad Van Gaalen.

High-pitched and homespun, with a gift for original metaphor and memorable lines and a sideline of crude folk art, Gaalen doesn't always hit the mark but when he does it is spectacular. There is a touch of majesty in his folky indie pop, an elusive quality that just pops out from time to time, "bits of a hit" you might say. He seems like a genuine eccentric, or maybe just trying to be a Serious Artist, but there's a lot of melancholy fun to be found in his music. Sweet and gentle for the most part, with some fine arranging for such a home-made production, you may want to pick this up for those off-kilter days.

“Willow Tree” by Chad Van Gaalen