Author Archives: Anoop Uppal

Looking Back at “One Long Dream”, by SonReal almost a decade later

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When Vernon, BC native singer and songwriter SonReal dropped “One Long Dream”, it was the defining moment in his long career. His most popular album till this day it seems like most Canadian artists had their coming out party in 2016. “One Long Dream” still stands the test of time even almost ten years later, but why is that? 

 

When the opening track hits it is easy to tell what kind of timing SonReal is on from the get go. The album opens up with “One Long Dream” the album name, and its first track. This song sets the tone as SonReal addresses all the pain and sacrifices he’s had to make to get to this point in his career. SonReal as much as he is a rapper on this track it is the storytelling ability that sets him apart from others. His singing on this track is very overlooked as well. 

 

What makes “One Long Dream” so good and what makes it stand the test of time is the great mixture of personality and production. All the songs on this album aren’t just rap either, there is a very evident pop mix in this album, even some rock influence that SonReal uses. 

 

One Long Dream is unique because it strikes a balance between polish and individuality. His keen pop instincts are on display in songs like “Can I Get a Witness” and “Problems,” which combine memorable hooks with genuine style. His breakthrough single was “Can I Get a Witness,” which managed to sound big without changing his authenticity thanks to its very catchy chorus. Few artists are able to combine vulnerability and calmness like “Problems,” which dives into the weight of expectation and self-doubt.

 

The record is restless. SonReal creates a sound that reflects the variety of his influences by drawing inspiration from hip-hop, pop, rock, and even soul, frequently all within the same song. His storytelling ability and melodic delivery give songs an authentic feel, and the polished production by longtime partners Arthur McArthur and Trevor Muzzy brings everything together. The result of someone who has spent years learning how to carve out his own path, the album feels well-crafted rather than premeditated. SonReal isn’t one of those industry plants you see nowadays, he is one of those guys who had to make it on his own.

How does Said the Whales “Islands Disappear” hold up 16 years later?

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Said the Whale made a unique gem when “Islands Disappear” hit the charts in 2009. An indie rock album that felt both intensely personal and proudly dipped in its Vancouver origins. The album still feels surprisingly authentic sixteen years later, in a time of streaming, algorithms, and short term trends it serves as a reminder of the days when indie music was based on community rather than what is popping on the internet.

 

Competing with bands like Arkells and Tokyo Police Club the album was released during Canada’s indie boom just before phones took over, but Islands Disappear stood out for its clever songwriting and emotional honesty. Today, it feels almost weird in its optimism. Its main theme is still “Camilo (The Magician),” a happy, sentimental song about friendship and distance that is supported by dazzling guitars and soaring harmonies. The song still has the same energy it did in 2009 and is still a vibe for long car rides with the windows down.

 

In terms of music Islands Disappear is more durable than the majority of records from the same era. While the music feels natural and alive, Said the Whale’s changing of voices with Ben Worcester’s calm voice against Tyler Bancroft’s urgent touch gives the album depth. Melody and melancholy are combined with a cinematic touch in songs like “Emerald Lake, AB” and “The Gift of a Black Heart,” which really paint a heavy picture in the mind.

 

The album’s forward-thinking vibe is what stands out right now. In 2025, its themes the need for meaning and environmental consciousness. In an era full of Indie bands it felt like Canada and BC had lost this kind of sound in the past few years, but now it kind of feels like we are going back in time with more and more canadian Indie artists popping out like Vancouvers own local peach pit. 

 

Although Said the Whale would later improve their sound, Islands Disappear the point at which their vision first became clear remains their emotional peak. Years later, the album still has a homey vibe. The power of nostalgia very much helps transform the listener to feel like they are back in the good old days. Islands Disappear remains genuine, and heartfelt in a online world where everything changes quickly.

 

The Simplicity and softness that is Dan Mangans New album “Natural Light”

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Dan Mangan is truly a timeless veteran when it comes to music he has been doing this for over almost 20 years. Fun fact if you do listen to Evolution 1079 you have probably heard Dan a few times that’s actually how i got into his music over the summer. With his newest album release “Natural Light”, Dan steps back into simplicity with this new album. The Album was actually recorded in a cabin in six days with Mangan and friends in Ontario. The Vancouver based singer songwriter released “Melody” as a single to promote the new album. Most of the songs on this album were previous throw-aways that Mangan hadn’t considered good enough in the past, but at this point in his career he wanted to come back to them and see if he could create anything special with these scraps. 

 

This album follows a very calm and grounded style. Acoustic guitars and soft vocals make you feel safe in the music. The first half of the album with songs like “ It might be raining”, and “ I hated love songs” shows Mangan kind of being over it all and not giving up but accepting the social fatigue he has in today’s new age world. Being over it all doesnt mean he doesnt have hope for the future though he still has hope for a better future in these early songs. 

 

The second half of the album features songs like “sound the alarm”, and the ending track “hit the wall”. These songs show Managan dealing with burnout, but still trekking on and being a soldier. A key example of that is on the last track with lyrics like “ nobody said this feeling would go on”, and him chanting “on-on-on”, with an unreal guitar solo in the background just makes you want to be a soldier with him. It really fills the listener up with hope. It really is the perfect end to the album and sometimes artists have trouble doing that, Mangan did not. 

 

“Natural Light”, is an album that you can listen to on a late night drive. It is the definition of chill, and that is what makes the album so great. In this new age where everything has to be loud and over produced Managan proves that sometimes simplicity is still king.  

Heartbreak and healing JESSIAS “Okay With Every Part”

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Jessia fellow Vancouver native has burst on to the scene with her hit single “Im not pretty”, this single introduced the world to the Vancouver artist the song is very honest and in the song she is not afraid to show her vulnerability. In her latest EP “Okay With Every Part”, Jessia takes honesty to a whole new level. This six song EP goes through her recent struggles in life from heartbreak to acceptance. 

 

 

The making of this EP was very hard on Jessia, but believe me she had a lot of material to work with. Jessia lost both her long term relationship and her record label deal in just a short few months, “Losing a label and a relationship within the span of 3 months shook me. I felt shame, rejection, anger, and frustration, but also freedom, adventure, passion, and resilience. As much as I didn’t want to, I had to learn to accept and move through these new obstacles” she said in an interview with TheWholeKameese.com. Jessia sets the mood of the EP early on with “ different people”, its a classic breakup song that you see performed by many pop stars with a twist. Instead of bitterness she is very accepting of this breakup. “Friends with my friends”, this song explores the awkwardness after the break up and how her EX is still friends with her friends. 

 

The 2nd half of the EP shifts tone as Jessia is coming to terms with what is going on in her life. “Happy without you” really signals the turning point with lyrics like “You’re not gonna recognize the girl that you gave up”, or “I can’t wait to be happy without you”. Listening to this whole EP i think “happy without you” is easily my favorite track, it’s something most people can relate to in some way or another. 

 

The EP closes with “The Women you are”, this song is a tribute to Jessias mom and how she raised her through the tough times. Jessias toughness comes from her mother. It’s a beautiful tribute you can truly do no wrong with a sweet tribute to your mother like this one. This EP is very good and it is actually Jessias first as an independent artist. The only flaw in the EP is that it is too short. 6 songs just is not enough. After listening to this I am very much looking forward to Jessias newest releases. 

Looking at Vancouver’s Hottest artist bbno$ (Baby No Money)

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Many of you today might know bbno$ today as the guy who’s always on the charts and someone who you cannot escape on TikTok, but it wasn’t always like that. bbno$ (Alexander Gumuchian) was just your regular Canadian kid born and raised in Vancouver. He was once on his way to becoming a pro swimmer but a back injury put that dream to rest. With Swimming done Alexander was still young but he needed something to do to keep busy. 

 

In 2016 bbnomula was born soon to become bbno$. Alexander started to upload his music to soundcloud and in 2016 soundcloud was where to start for up and coming artists. He would only see moderate success on Soundcloud though. His insane breakthrough came in 2019 though he collabed with fellow producer Y2K for his hit track “Lalala”. This song has been everywhere since and the boost of TikTok around this time really helped bbno$ gain recognition for this track. Believe me if you have watched any sort of short form video content you have heard this song. The song currently has over 1 billion streams on Spotify. 

 

After that track bbno$ has never looked back. He is one of the rare artists that is actually independent and is not signed to a label. His main advantage is that he lets everyone use his music. He understands that going viral now is better than getting plays on the radio. He and Yung Gravy also collaborate very regularly. Gravy is also very much a meme rapper and is constantly going viral. Even though some of his songs are very jokey in nature bbno$ has shed the label of being a “meme rapper” he has secured multiple Juno nominations even winning one this year as the “Tiktok Juno Fan Choice Award”. 

 

bbno$ is very much a newer generation artist. Many can learn from him his social media marketing on TikTok to the contests he holds on X is what has kept him in peoples minds now for over almost 7 years now. He is currently on tour right now in New Zealand and Australia, for his newest album release. I am excited to see what the future brings for the Vancouver artist and you can only expect him to get bigger and better.

Hotel Mira’s “Pity Party”a wild ride of an album

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Hotel Miras an indie rock band lead by fellow Vancouver boy Charlie Kerr have released a new album called Pity Party. This is the groups 5th album and their most recent one after a two year break. This alt rock group begins the album on a very high note with “America’s Favorite pass time”. The guitar is absolutely on fire and the drums are thumping on this record which really makes the listener think this will be the tone for the whole album but things do take a very fast turn. The second track on this album “Right back where I was” lures you in with its catchy rhythm but you have to really listen to the lyrics to catch what frontman Charlie Kerr is saying. After the upbeat start “Right back where I was” talks about repeating mistakes over and over. A mistake many people can relate to. 

 

The 2nd half of the album follows a much more of a slow tempo compared to the first half of the album. “Stone Throws” especially stands out in the 2nd half. The more chill approach on the song almost makes you forget about how the song is about being one mistake away from throwing everything away. It’s a song that makes you feel that you are outside in the rain after the party is over, a back to reality type of song. “On and On” gets the album back to its higher tempo feel that it has really been missing in the 2nd half of the album. In this song Kerr explores just wanting a chance in a relationship and how he just wants to be there for this girl, with lyrics like “ so love me love and call me back maybe i could be your heart attack”. “There goes the Neighbourhood” feels like the perfect ending to this album. The song is very upbeat with Kerr letting go of everything that has burdened him on this album. For me this song is like the saying you need to learn to lose, he’s not sore about the loss he is ok with it and sometimes that’s how life is. You can’t win them all. 

 

Overall as a person who doesn’t listen to a lot of Indie rock music i really enjoyed the album. The story structure of being high then low then ok made this album what it is.