Made up of Matt Austman and Darcy Penner, formerly of The Furr, Salinas has not only put out a solid first release but the record also features a who’s who of the Winnipeg music scene. The disc was produced by Matt Peters of The Waking Eyes (who also plays piano, keyboard and synths on some songs) and features Rusty Matyas, also of the Eyes, on trumpet, percussion and guitar. The 10 tracks are propelled by a steady guitar and anthemic choruses thanks to the Salinas choir (featuring Bucky Dreidger and Matt Schellenberg from The Liptonians/Royal Canoe and Mike Petkau of Les Jupes, among others). From the opening static and voices of Unite or Conquer to the final fading chord of the dreamy duet Down Together, it’s something you can easily sing along to. The more you listen to it, the catchier it gets.

Published in Volume 65, Number 6 of The Uniter (October 7, 2010)