In their fifth album, Time for Yourself, Scenic Route to Alaska encapsulates quarantine, Canadian winters, and today’s ever-changing world. Released on Oct. 28, the album comes at the perfect time for cozy nights, fires, and a glass of wine with your household or social bubble.
SRTA consists of three childhood friends from Edmonton: Trevor Mann as lead vocalist and guitarist, Shea Connor on drums, and Murray Wood as bassist.
Following a cross-Canada tour, the band wrote this album in a small town on Vancouver Island, B.C. The band “locked themselves up,” metaphorically speaking, for two weeks just to focus on writing this album, Mann told American Songwriter.
The band’s unique sound is encapsulated in this album. Songs like “Dead of Winter,” “Call Your Friends” and “Openhearted” bring their Canadian roots to the front, while “Time for Yourself” and “Patiently Waiting” show the band’s classic rock inspirations, taking obvious stimulus from icons like The Police and The Beatles. Think: classic rock meets the prairies.
With the perfect indie-rock blend, this album gives you the feeling that it could have been released when records were the main way to listen to music. It has a classic and timeless sound to it that makes it difficult to place—if a listener was unsure when the album came out, the only way to find out would be to look it up.
Any Canadian listening to this album will relate to the stories being told in the songs. There are many mentions of seasons—mainly winter—which any Canadian would understand. Yet, SRTA’s music is warm in tone, counteracting the cold of winter found throughout the album. Mellow guitar riffs, light drums and a steady bass play in total contrast to the chilly temperatures outside.
With winter fast approaching, SRTA’s newest release will undoubtedly be the background music to many holiday parties. The new album gives you the warm hug you need on snowy winter days.
Featured image by Scenic Route to Alaska/Sterling Larose.
