Week of July 13, 2006, Issue #560
MUSIC
FRI, JUL 7 / CASTLEMUSIC / SIDETRACK CAFE
When Toronto’s Jennifer Castle, performing under the name Castlemusic, stepped out onto the Sidetrack’s stage with just her electric guitar in hand, she was an unknown act on the night’s bill. Replacing the AWOL Will Kidman, Castle started the evening off slow and steady with a series of tunes that smoldered with emotion. Castle’s sparse, sometimes shaky guitar work provided the perfect complement to her ardent vocals as she built songs from whispers into raging storms, pounding out massive sounding chords and then pulling back just as quickly. The music was by no means easy to listen to, and that’s exactly what made it so powerful—Castle’s short set was as honest as music can get. –EDEN MUNRO / eden@vueweekly.com