Anything Can't Happen in Bloomington, MN

On her gorgeous debut album, Toronto singer/songwriter
Dorothea Paas
expresses a seasoned variety of tones ranging from nimble, lovelorn folk to expansive post-rock and radiant psychedelia. A staple of the city's indie underground since the early 2010s,
Paas
has flown under the radar for nearly a decade, quietly issuing a string of lo-fi D.I.Y. cassettes and serving as a touring member and session player for better-known acts such as
U.S. Girls
and
Jennifer Castle
. While her entrepreneurial humility has resulted in little self-promotion, she's nonetheless earned heaps of respect from her peers and adulation from audiences lucky enough to have chanced upon her. Thanks to Toronto's
Telephone Explosion
imprint,
now has a label to sing her praises and her first proper album to promote. The experimental nature of her previous EPs remains throughout
Anything Can't Happen
's nine tracks, several of which exceed the six-minute mark. In spite of this,
doesn't alienate her audience, relying on smart songcraft and engaging, albeit unusual, arrangements to carry the day. The spiritual guidance of Canadian icon
Joni Mitchell
is immediately apparent in the winsome dips and dives of
' vocals as well as her confessional lyrics and inventive melodic shifts, though she is far more than another
Mitchell
acolyte. The album's front half is anchored by an impressive trio of standouts beginning with the soaring title track followed by the subtler "Container" and dramatic "Closer to Mine." Over grainy electric guitars and a surprisingly muscular rhythm section,
and her band ebb and swell with a windswept grandeur that elevates the intimacy of her lyrics. Lush, wobbling synths and exultant harmonies are layered throughout, particularly on the haunting closer, "Running Under My Life," a song whose initial melody is mirrored on album opener "One," creating a nice bookend effect. A daring balance of vulnerability and creative might,
is a striking debut. ~ Timothy Monger