Beaver Shepherd

Listen: I just got word that local art-house rocker Beaver (Sheppard) is down to his last hundred copies of the limited edition album you can only control instincts when they come.

The newfie transplant released this piece of super-raw, lo-fi, vinyl heartbreak in January of 2007, and has since been steadily selling copies around Montreal’s underground.

I have rarely heard an album as honest and moving as you can only…, and I’m grateful that I got my hands on a copy before it was too late.

Hear a song for yourself
www.myspace.com/beaverlakehome
and tell me if I’m crazy. - Amy

No-Weapon as decided to open the vault and flood indie music with three simultaneous releases. One of these is “Living with Women and Cars” of Montreal singer-songwriter Beaver Sheppard. Locally known in his town as a cook in some social circles, Beaver fraternized with the hip crowd. He became somehow a local Will Oldham, opening for bigger indie entities such as Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Xiu Xiu and others. Not only is he a great chef and musician, his visual art is also really interesting and worth mentioning. At one point, music critics in Montreal were labeling Beaver as an upcoming talent to keep watch of. Some of the songs on “Living with Women and Cars” have been circulating on the web for some time. I remember hearing these songs, in a bare version of guitar and voice and immediately found them appealing. His high-pitched voice and lo-fi aesthetics summon resemblance with artists such as Daniel Johnston and Phil Elverum, like them he’s working in the realm of the loner experimental folk singer, dealing with demons, women and cars.
Unfortunately, his previous releases never got the proper exposure/distribution his talent deserved. He’s a gifted lyricist; catchy songs at the same time poetic and obtuse, with a heartfelt and touching delivery. Also a fine guitar player and his finger picking on acoustic guitar holds par with lots of musicians, round and melodic, folksy and esoteric. As I’ve said, it’s mostly guitar and voice, but Collis Browne from No-Weapon, played various instruments and messed up song structures, sang and gave this record a particular edge. Add up fine song crafting with insane post-production and Beaver has what it takes to appeal to a wide audience. But the treatment given to these bedroom recordings by No-Weapon, pushes this record just out of reach from the masses and into the arms of the experimental music lovers. They state that most of these songs were improvised on a 4 track and then worked on for three years, making this one of the most beautiful folk record I’ve heard in a while.
There’s lots of stuff happening at the same time; people talking in songs and in between, odd back vocals, crazy electronics, bass, reeds, organ, rain… While side A is more upbeat and starts with “Fireman Song”, a warning telling you this won’t be your regular folk record, the flipside is more introspective and moody. It provides us with two of the record highlights; “Beaver Became a Fish” and the amazing “Wedding Song”, the guitars weaving a thread so beautiful it made me yearn for a brain in my thighs. - Frederick Galbrun