Nov. 16, 2005 - Issue #526: Sex, Lust & Love

Distant Replay

THIS WEEK: Jonathan Halton discusses the Faunts' High Expectations/Low Results

For most musicians, the albums that have had the greatest influence on their careers were recorded by artists from far-off places. But for Jonathan Halton, guitarist for local modern rockers Plainsay, the album that most influenced him didn’t come from some chartmaker or heralded foreign act that sells just a few records but gets five-star reviews from critics everywhere. For Halton, it came from the indie section of a local record shop.

“I guess I am going to take a few liberties with your question,” he says. “There are many albums that, when I heard them, made me wanted to create music for the rest of my life. Albums like Grace by Jeff Buckley, Rock Action by Mogwai, Weezer’s debut, and every single piece of Radiohead music. But, if I ask myself what album made this idea real for me, I’d have to say local Edmonton boys the Faunts’ debut, High Expectations/Low Results.

“I stumbled upon the Faunts by accident, checking out another band they were playing with and, as I tell the story today, my jaw hit the freaking ground,” he explains. “I was blown away by the huge sound that is the Faunts. Huge, but intimate. Not obnoxious. Surreal. In your face, but subtle. Needless to say, I bought their disc after the show. That was back when it first came out, and I have been listening to the album ever since. Regularly.”

It might not be an overstatement to call High Expectations/Low Results one of the most important indie releases to come out of Edmonton. Mixing haunting soundscapes with lush pop melodies, the Faunts were able to create a collection of songs that appealed to those who search the “experimental” sections at record stores and to those who believe melody should come before any studio trickery. And it has enjoyed some might fine staying power; two years after it first hit college-radio charts in Canada, High Expectations/Low Results was re-released a month ago by New York label Friendly Fire, and has received many favourable reviews south of the border.

“It is great,” says Halton of the album, which was remixed for the American-label debut. “Seeing and hearing what a local band has been able to do has been a huge inspiration to me. I love creating music, and it excites me to be so close to another band that I can relate to.”

Plainsay unveiled their own strange blend of melodic rock mixed with adventurous instrumental sections on their six-song EP Cartography, released in 2004. Now, the band will be working with Graham Lessard of what used to be the Floor (who has also produced Champion, Alberta) for a new full-length album which should be out in 2006.

“We feel we need to step up and put out something that truly expresses who we are,” says Halton. “We still want to make a bigger impression on the Edmonton music scene. We are gigging a bit, but our focus is on recording.... With bands like Faunts around us, we have no choice but to reach for these dreams.” V

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