This Montreal song and wordsmith – transplanted from British Columbia – follows the musical implants laid down by the classic singer-songwriter on his debut album, thirteen tracks of witty words meet 70's Waitsian pop meet just enough quirk to keep a wide swath of listeners interested. Simard, averse at both piano and guitar, surrounds himself with a band of talented players more akin to dusty times then modern rock (i.e they dig horns more than amplifiers), and as a whole they are able to transport the songs to new stratospheres of sound, a stash of urban tales with a score of avant folk, country twang, desert disco and gypsy jazz as a bedrock. March 8th at Casa del Popolo.
