Polaris picks

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Not short-list worthy

Great Lake Swimmers โ€“ Lost Channels
While the new Great Lake Swimmers album is a valuable offering to Canadian music, the depressing, repetitive folk CD could very well have remained on the Polaris long-list, in order to make way for more innovative and captivating music on the shortlist. Lost Channels is not only undoubtedly a step backward from the bandโ€™s last full-length album Ongiara, it fails to be memorable and creative, qualities necessary for any shortlisted nominee.

Dark horse

Fucked Up โ€“ The Chemistry of Common Life
One thing is for sure โ€“ itโ€™s great to see Polaris representing hardcore music with Fucked Upโ€™s latest album. While The Chemistry of Common Life may not appeal to everyone and was an unexpected choice for the shortlist, it is a remarkable album for its genre, full of energy and musicality from start to finish. But with profanity in the bandโ€™s name and its under-represented genre, Fucked Up is an unlikely choice for the grand prize.

Biggest disappointment

Joel Plaskett โ€“ Three
Pretentious and self-indulgent, Three is a huge step down for the beloved artist who brought us Ashtray Rock. Lacking the strong concept and variety needed to sustain a three-disc album, Three should have been trimmed down into one sound album comprised of the three-disc releaseโ€™s good songs. When listening to Three, Plaskett comes across as a packrat, reluctant to omit any song from the album, no matter how mediocre and repetitive.

Unlikely to win

Patrick Watson โ€“ Wooden Arms
Watsonโ€™s best album to date, Wooden Arms is an incredible step for the artist, showing that his Polaris victory in 2007 has helped his music improve immensely. The albumโ€™s lush tracks flow seamlessly into one another, creating a perfect musical experience. But however good Watsonโ€™s album is, it is unlikely to take Polarisโ€™ 2009 grand prize, as the contest should be fair and let another talented artist have that opportunity.

Individual selections

Erin Epp:
Should win: Chad VanGaalen โ€“ Soft Airplanes
Will win: Chad VanGaalen โ€“ Soft Airplanes

Rebecca Vasluianu:
Should win: Kโ€™NAAN โ€“ Troubadour
Will win: Hey Rosetta! โ€“ Into Your Lungs

Carly Lewis:
Should win: Patrick Watson โ€“ Wooden Arms
Will win: Chad VanGaalen โ€“ Soft Airplanes


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