Toronto singer-songwriter Wendy Leung embraced music at a remarkably young age, following in the virtuosic footsteps of so many of her nation’s iconic tunesmiths. A background in classical piano and an astute lyrical sensibility marked her formative musical upbringing. For all that quintessential back-story, Wendy’s singular worldview and a diverse roster of musical influences – from sweet, feminine piano balladry to driving, tuneful indie-rock – have converged to shape a sound and songwriting style entirely her own.
Wendy’s first full-length, A Place To Start (2000), featured the emotional, stripped down outpouring of a solo pianist bearing her soul and finding her voice. This Time (2003), her second self-produced release, saw the introduction of a fuller instrumental scope and the maturing of the artist’s distinct pop sensibility. Performing from This Time at live shows, Wendy and her band, The Iron L(e)ungs, reworked older arrangements and cultivated a fresh batch of songs within this unique musical relationship.
The spring of 2008 sees the realization of these songs and the fulfillment of Wendy’s songwriting promise with Stop/Start. Recorded at Chemical Sound in Toronto, where breakout albums have been cut by such artists as Born Ruffians, Tokyo Police Club and Amy Millan, Stop/Start pulses from beginning to end with raw emotion and a searing blend of piano, vocals and an expansive instrumental foundation.
At turns warm and poppy or intimate and profound, Stop/Start hums with the songwriter’s sweet harmonies and vibrant, catchy arrangements. David Stein (Key Witness, Boys Who Say No) supplies urgent rock-guitar and backing vocals, Scott Bouwmeester (Provincial Parks) lays down tuneful bass lines, and drummer Andrew Haust drives the whole engine with dynamic precision. Stop/Start is the sound of a songwriter and her band truly hitting their stride, moving forward with harmonious confidence.
Buy Stop/Start at:
Criminal Records (493 Queen St W, Toronto)
Sonic Boom (512 Bloor St. W, Toronto)
Ellington's Music & Café (804 St Clair Av. W, Toronto)
Or buy it online at CDBaby or IndiePool !
Buy This Time online at:
CD Baby or iTunes
