At the end of last year, Toronto synthpop songwriter Austra returned from a five-year absence with a new LP that sounded both emotionally downtrodden and musically rejuvenated: Chin Up Buttercup is ultimately less of a breakup album than it is a statement of new beginnings, even if its angsty lyrics don’t always see it that way. Led by the bygone sounds of ecstatic Euro club music, each of these 10 tracks feel rooted in the hopefulness of a new dawn teased at the end of the record, with Katie Stelmanis capping off the album by severing ties with an old lover for good.
And the fun is just beginning: Last weekend, Stelmanis kicked off a set of North American tour dates (alongside a short film soundtracked by a handful of the album’s tracks) that currently see her making her way to the West Coast via Texas. Before she hits LA this weekend, she’s taking over FLOOD FM this week with a new episode of “Hacked” that sees her spinning a number of her favorite Canadian songwriter peers, including Jane Inc., Tess Roby, and Sarah McLachlan. Catch her episode every day this week (January 20 – 23) at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 5 p.m., and 10 p.m. only on FLOOD FM.
