We Speak Indie Artist
Loti Keeps It Real On Lotstar
Loti’s new EP Gorimapa Gangsta, Vol. 2: Lotstar is all about raw honesty. The Lagos artist has been rising steadily since his breakout track “Mainland,” and this latest project shows he is not slowing down.
The highlight is “Okirika,” featuring taves. The track captures the sting of love falling apart under financial strain. Taves sets a soulful tone, while Loti lays bare the frustration of being seen as a stepping stone rather than a partner. The hook, with its haunting “money no full my pocket,” sums up the heartbreak in just a few words.
Production throughout the EP is stripped-back, letting Loti’s storytelling shine. Instead of glossy beats, we get space and texture that match the rawness of his lyrics.
Lotstar is short, but that is also its strength. Every track feels deliberate and personal, leaving you with a strong impression of who Loti is and what he stands for. This isn’t background music. It’s a record that demands attention and rewards it with truth.
Plain Mister Smith returns with Bric-À-Brac Attack, a beautifully offbeat collection of indie-folk, pop and atmospheric songwriting. Released via Amelia Records, the album finds the Vancouver and London-based multi-hyphenate turning fragments of memory, relationships and everyday absurdity into something quietly cinematic.
At its centre is “Grindavik”, a shimmering, reflective track inspired by the Icelandic town shaped by recent volcanic activity. Bright acoustic guitars and steady drums carry a constantly shifting chord progression, mirroring the song’s central metaphor of a relationship under pressure and the hope that its fissures can eventually heal. Featuring Jordan Klassen and Kitt, the track captures the emotional tension that runs throughout the album.
Elsewhere, Bric-À-Brac Attack moves effortlessly between playful guitar-driven moments, lush arrangements and more introspective passages. “Miss Sunshine” brings infectious energy, while collaborations with Findlay Brown, Leeroy Stagger, Krystle Dos Santos and Tyson Mostenbocher add colour to an already eclectic record.
Former guitarist of Canadian darkwave band Moev and a cellist with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, Plain Mister Smith brings an unusually broad musical perspective to his songwriting. Yet Bric-a-Brac attack never feels overly calculated. Instead, it has the charm of something discovered rather than constructed.
Warm, strange, melodic and emotionally searching, Bric-À-Brac Attack is a record that rewards getting lost in its details. Plain Mister Smith may remain deliberately mysterious, but the music itself speaks with remarkable clarity.
Photo credit: Sandra Lockwood
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