Hauntingly Good

Emily Haines is definitely not a new face in the music world, but her new album Choir of the Mind offers some fresh and exciting tracks for listeners. Haines put a decade between full-length albums, perhaps to produce a solid album, which in this case, she succeeded.

The album opens with a track titled “Planets,” which is a very atmospheric song. Haines’ soft vocals are backed by a pretty and simple piano part that allows for the listener’s mind to wander for a little. This track could be used to get the listener into a similar creative space that Haines might have been in while writing this album.

The second track on the album, “Fatal Gift,” was released as a single when Haines announced that she would be reviving the side project Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton. This specific track has several layers to it that do a great job at keeping the track alive all throughout. There is even a slightly dancey part in the middle of the song that keeps the tempo and sound both new and refreshing to listen to.

One of the most outstanding songs on the entire album is “Wounded.” Every aspect of this song is beautiful — from her calming vocals to the various sounds in the music, it makes for a very satisfying listen.

There are solid tracks throughout the entirety of the album. “Statuette” stands out as a unique track because while it still features the pleasing piano the rest of the album possesses, it highlights the use of other instruments, which offers a slightly different sound than the rest of the album.

While Choir of the Mind isn’t exactly like what Haines has created in the past with her band Metric, it brings its own quirky sound to the music scene and it should be embraced just as much as her past work.