Michael Rault: Living Daylight EP

Toronto-based Michael Rault originally hails from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he cut his teeth on the blues and punk. But he’s also cut his teeth on good ol’ fashioned British Invasion bands, and his latest EP, Living Daylight, is proof of that. Coming across as a cross between the Kinks and the Beatles, Rault takes the best bits of ‘60s and ‘70s power pop, puts them in a blender and hits ‘puree’. The end result is quite startling. While Rault never surpasses his influences – and expecting him to might be asking a bit too much – he successfully mines the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, which is refreshing to hear. “All Alone (On My Own)” might be the best thing to be had on this EP, as it has a very glammy feel to it. It basically fires on all cylinders and is quite refreshing.

But that’s not to say that the rest of the EP isn’t quite as good. Quite the contrary. This is a short album studded with hand-clapping moments. “Hiding from a Heartbreak” has a very bubblegummy blues cadence, and burns quite slowly. “Lost Something”, meanwhile, walks with a psychedelic swagger. “Lovers Lie”, on the other hand, is a slow burning ballad. “Real Love Yeah” is basically a Bad Company song rewritten for the double aughts. “Too All My Friends” [sic] basically tears a page from the Beatles songbook. And “Too Bad So Sad” is a fuzzy rocking number with underwater vocals. If it’s said that Emitt Rhodes could out McCartney Paul McCartney at his best, then Michael Rault basically out Lennons John Lennon at the top of his game. The Living Daylight EP is quite stunning in that regard, and is proof that this artist is one to watch.