Michou - Nov/Dec 2008
Michou
The members of Michou have been playing together for less than a year but the material that’s coming out of this Windsor-based act would leave you to believe this is the work of a well-seasoned, road-tested band several records into a career.
The calibre of the songwriting, the beauty of the arrangements, and the level of musicianship within the band all suggest this is a band with legs.
Lead singer/guitarist Michael Hargreaves and bandmates Ryan Ard (guitar/banjo/cajon/xylophone/slide whistle/vocals) Ryan Frith (bass/vocals/harmonica) Sasha Appler (keys/ trumpet/vocals), and Lucas Semple (cajon/drums/xylophone/tambourine/accordion) have crafted a sound that draws heavily from the folk tradition of simple-but-often-beautiful melodies and everything-you-need-but-no-more orchestrations, but is unquestionably a pop record with pop sensibilities.
Imagine, if you can, a musical partnership between an acoustic Ben Folds, NRBQ, and Barenaked Ladies and you might get some sense of what Michou has to offer.
Hargreaves has one of those voices that’s very easy on the head and so sweet at times that it’s almost tranquillizing. He and his cohorts are capable of producing some great vocal harmonies when the moment calls for them.
The band is currently gearing up for a major tour in support of its latest record, Myshkin, which will take it across much of Ontario and into the Maritimes.
If the opportunity arises to see them live, take it, you won’t be disappointed.
Listen to Michou’s Control
