Boards Of Canada ‎– Trans Canada Highway

BoC have not disappointed me yet and I very excited to get this new EP, especially when I heard it'd be on coloured vinyl. The opening track was an instant classic with most fans and kind of has two parts to it. There's the ambient opening and then the track falls nicely into the mellow IDM style that they go so well. There's a couple fillers in the EP, such as "Under The Coke Sign" but they don't distract from the release at all. The only negative thing about this EP is the last track, which is remixed by Odd Nosdam. I personally never heard of him myself but I didn't like this remix at all it didn't even seem like it was the same track. Thankfully it was the last one and I can just simply pop up my needle and turn in back to side A to listen to Dayvan Cowboy again, and again, and again.

Ok, let's take this release track by track:

Dayvan Cowboy - Well produced, nice riffs and melodies, but just downright cheesey. Too happy and upbeat for my liking, almost like a country song. Even includes upbeat orchestral pads to make the whole experience seem even more fake. Most people here commenting praise this track, but if you want serious music, and not cheesey stuff, then look elsewhere.

Left Side Drive - A very downbeat and ambient track with some breaks here and there. Doesn't accomplish much, but this is to its advantage as well. A neutral track overall, nothing enticing.

Heard From Telegraph Lines - An ambient piece, very nice, but neutral as well. Nothing happening - but that's in many ways the purpose of ambient music. To be ignorable yet intricate.

Skyliner - Very similar to the first track but less upbeat and automatically better. A good track, thumbs up to this one.

Under The Coke Sign - Another ambient work, and just about the same in terms of quality as the other one too.

Remix - Decent remix, not better than the original, but an okay alternative.

Overall this release is far from essential, and it isn't really worth getting.

Boards of Canada and "electric guitar" aren't words you normally put together, but on their TRANS CANADA HIGHWAY, that's exactly what you get from the get-go. "Dayvan Cowboy" is like a soundtrack to a futuristic Wim Wenders film; the country-western vibe might put some people off, but for me, it's an added bit of charm. "Left Side Drive" is more familiar territory for the Boards, a dreamy and drifting track. "Skyliner" continues in that vein, with its long sci-fi synths and scattered rhythms. Odd Nosdam takes a slow, droning approach to his remix of "Dayvan Cowboy," such that want originally sounds like a road trip turns into a head trip.

The opening track-Dayvan Cowboy gets the ball rolling with it's almost eerie opening meanderings,instantly recognisable to Boards' appreciators,ushering in a delicate tambourine-esque high-hat which teases the listener from the outset and gets the foot immediately tapping.
A subtle industrial bass drum-sounds like a contradiction,but it isn't-follows,fading in,dragging a swirling polar wind with it:the cue for the entrance of the track's sublime main guitar riff which shudders and reverberates magnificently.This is the piece's backbone.
We are now impatient for the tune to take off and it doesn't disappoint,beasting in with swaggering intent,kicking and spitting menacingly but well balanced by smooth background harmonics,key changes which keep us on our toes and a simple,yet effective single note melody.
The only drawback is the length-it's over before it's really begun-fading out rather prematurely,leaving us hungry for more and reaching for the repeat button.Maybe that's the point.
The tempo slows for the next track-Left Side Drive,which fades in,sounding almost like something played backwards then establishes a lazy,noncholant rhythm and ambles along pleasantly in a lo fi kind of way with plenty of echoey sounds and reverb.
When the track pauses at around the four minute mark we are treated to what sounds like a melody but it is not pursued and rather disappointingly fades out to nothing signalling the end of the track.
Heard From Telegraph Lines comes creeping in,tiptoeing as if not wanting to be noticed and it gets it's wish as it fades to nothing after only just over a minute.
If the listener were perhaps nodding off at this point,the next track-Skyliner,snaps us back to attention with a vengeance.
A real percussive gem-harking back perhaps to Warp labelmates Rhythm Invention-it kicks the door down early on with a syrupy bassline working in tandem with moody synths,sliding and squeezing around the top class drum and cymbal patterns.
A fine selection of other sounds are progressively and expertly introduced giving the piece a very accomplished and polished feel.
Under The Coke Sign is another Board's filler.
The remix of Dayvan Cowboy is indeed a tad odd.
It slides in and out of earshot with a definate lack of cohesion for a couple of minutes,before seemingly settling into a rather minimalistic vein,only for deep distorted synth sounds to roll in-teasing with a tasty snippet of the original-before fading out again.
Finally they return with the long overdue rhythm section and a lot of additional needle fluff-the best part of the tune.
By the end,the fade in/ fade out novelty has worn off and we are left to crave a remix a bit closer to the exquisite original.

The Odd Nosdam remix sounds a lot like when I was young, lying on a grassy hill, and I could hear airplanes flying over me in the far distance. It's quite powerful, especially if you grew up in a peaceful, small Canadian city, like I did. The ability Boards Of Canada (and, it seems, Odd Nosdam also!) has for capturing the care-free, curious emotions of my youth constantly amazes me. It is hard to believe they are not living inside my head.

Back to form for BoC in my opinion. Not that 'Campfire Headphase'was by any means a disappointment, more a surprise direction & taking new directions with their aesthetic. 'Left Hand Drive' is by all means the standout here. Fading in from a distant memory & pounding in like a cold morning, awash with atmosphere & it just feels right. I actually picture myself driving across a glacier, sun in my eyes, my mind conjuring images of past friends & family, safe in the knowledge of my unknown destination ahead of me. A true wonder of a track. The interlude of 'Heard from telegraph lines' is also more classic drone BoC territory which just passes through your mind effortlessly, then into the punchy 'Skyliner'. Suggestive & sounds so open & elevating. Will have you thinking of many things, but look to the sky when hearing this. The 'Dayvan Cowboy' remix is (I think) a worthy remix by Odd Nosdam, segmenting it into a 3 part ambient,moody,trip hop masterpiece. Keep looking skyward, you're in safe hands people.