Anything Can't Happen

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 citys 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, shes nonetheless earned heaps of respect from her peers and adulation from audiences lucky enough to have chanced upon her. Thanks to Torontos Telephone Explosion imprint, Paas 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 Cant Happens nine tracks, several of which exceed the six-minute mark. In spite of this, Paas doesnt 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 Paas vocals as well as her confessional lyrics and inventive melodic shifts, though she is far more than another Mitchell acolyte. The albums 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, Paas 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, Anything Cant Happen is a striking debut. ~ Timothy Monger