Marcus Paquin has always worked in the shadows of other names in the music industry. He has been a star collaborator and multi-talented individual for the likes of The National, The Weather Station, Local Natives, Julia Jacklin, Begonia, and more, but he has finally made the jump on his solo career with Our Love. The record does have a few similarities to the ones hes guested on in the past, but does stand as its own entity.

This album was arranged, recorded, and palyed by Paquin with Suuns’ Liam O’Neill on drums. It could be called an explosive piece of indie pop, hanging onto many of the sonic trends of the genre in the last few years. I would have expected more guest artists with Paquin’s laundry list of collaborators, but perhaps he just wanted to make it himself, free of opinion.

The one aspect that really stands out is the vocal structure or rather the sound of the vocals on Our Love. There seems to be a slight delay on the overdubbed, creating an almost ghostly, omniscient point of view. This is a welcomed effect on tracks like “The Way Forward” and the haunting “Die For You,” which sounds like a modern outlaw country ballad, adding to the atmosphere. It’s actually hard to determine if this effect is added or Paquin’s own leathery voice, something akin to S. Carey’s “Brassy Sun.”

Paquin’s production work is also a highlight of Our Love; an array of synths and keyboards that blends with the traditional indie rock model. “Something Beautiful” might be the track with the most staying power, with its motorik drum beats, and pulsating and buzzing guitar and synth lines.

“Hollywood Lights” is probably the most generic on Our Love as it sounds like it was written before by someone like Arkells or even Arcade Fire. There’s just nothing really new to hear, especially if the listener is already aware of ballady pop bands.

As a whole, though Our Love is only 10 songs, it does kind of linger. Many of the songs could have been cut down to be more digestible and get to the point. The whole concept of “love is everywhere” is as tired one and could have been made more abstract, but still, Our Love has a couple tracks that might make you come back for a few listens.

Pre-order Our Love by Marcus Paquin HERE