Secret Sun

The goal was to head back to the hotel to regroup for the night but I tagged along to the Ubisoft rooftop performance featuring Swedish-Canadian band, Thus:Owls, and Montreal's Secret Sun. What started as a lark turned into two of the most pleasant surprises of my Pop.
Backed by a spectacular view of Montreal - and the full-swing, fall foliage of Mont Royal - Secret Sun, the duo of Anne-Marie Campbell and Simon Landry, crafted lush and languid alternative pop songs that were simply spellbinding. Campbell has one of those beguiling, siren-like voices that effortlessly moves from high to low and back again. (Check out the song "Stay Still" from their excellent Cold Coast EP.) The sold-out, rooftop audience was rapt as the sun set and out in the distance, Mont Royal slipped into darkness. - Brooklyn Vegan

Secret Sun have been creating music out of Montreal together since 2011 and are finally set to deliver their debut album Cold Coast. The official release comes on September 30 through Bonsound, but you can hear it on Exclaim.ca right now.

For the new album, the duo partnered with Sébastien Blais-Monpetit (who produced Radio Radio's Belmundo Regal) and Karkwa's François Lafontaine, adding some of Canada's finest francophone musicians to the production team.

From glitched-out album opener "Passing Cars" through previously heard cuts "Cold Coast" and "Feather," twinkling synths, dark drum machines and melancholy vocals permeate the album, delivering an eclectic mix of songs that ranges from gloomy shoegaze to dancefloor-ready pop. And despite the ever-present synths and heavy backing beats, Secret Sun still know how to deliver ballads like soft, dreamy cuts "City" and piano-laden album ender "Crashing Waves."

Simon and Anne-Marie will take their show on the road with an album launch in their hometown on September 30 and an opening slot for Groenland the following week in Toronto. Details of the tour dates can be found below.

Scroll past the gigs to hear the brand new record from Secret Sun and if you like what you hear, Cold Coast is available for pre-order through iTunes or Bandcamp.

Tour dates:

09/30 Montreal, QC - Le Belmont (record release show)
10/02 Toronto, ON – The Rivoli *

* with Groenland - Exclaim.ca

We’ve posted a multitude of undiscovered duos consisting of a male producer and a female singer, and as time goes on, they seem only to be getting better. Our claim is supported by Simon Landry and Anne-Marie Campbell today, who have crafted a fantastic blend of electro-pop under the name Secret Sun. The Canada-based twosome recently released their debut project, Cold Coast, and we took a strong liking to the songs “Passing Cars” and “NHNT” in particular from it.

The formerly mentioned song was the first one to catch our attention, and it did so with its serene, dreamy mood instilled by some modulating percussion and softly swelling synths. Anne-Marie’s gentle, tranquil croon coasts beautifully atop the track, which, as it progresses, gradually sees instruments added alongside it. It took us a little while to warm up to “Passing Cars” (until the mentioned elements came to fruition), but once we did, we were really able to appreciate all of its beauty, so be sure to give it as many listens as it needs to be able to click.

Our next selection, “NHNT”, begins with an arrangement of peculiar electronic material, which is then coated with some percussion, bass, and synths. The track builds according to this sound for a while, but about a minute and a half in, we hear it transition into a smoother, refreshing segment that we can’t get enough of.

Secret Sun’s music is something that you have to listen to a few times to really appreciate, but if you’re like us, you’ll be completely hooked once you commit yourself to it. If you really dig our two selections, too, be sure to check out the rest of their debut project on their Bandcamp. - HillyDilly.com