2LP - Crown Lands - Fearless

2LP - Crown Lands - Fearless2LP Crown Lands have always been a study in contrastsand that goes beyond the unique cultural composition of Jewish multi instrumentalist Kevin Comeau (he him) and Two Spirited Mi'kmaq singer drummer Cody Bowles (they them). On their 2020 self titled debut album, Crown Lands resembled a raw blues rock power duo harboring latent prog rock affinities, vacillating between dirty boogie grinds and pastoral reveries. But on Fearless, the Oshawa, Ontario,

2LP

Crown Lands have always been a study in contrasts—and that goes beyond the unique cultural composition of Jewish multi-instrumentalist Kevin Comeau (he/him) and Two- Spirited Mi'kmaq singer/drummer Cody Bowles (they/them). On their 2020 self-titled debut album, Crown Lands resembled a raw blues-rock power duo harboring latent prog- rock affinities, vacillating between dirty boogie grinds and pastoral reveries. But on Fearless, the Oshawa, Ontario, group doesn't sound so conflicted—because they've fully and unapologetically surrendered to their rock-opera ambitions. "We live in a world of 15- second bite-sized clips," Comeau tells. "But there's a storytelling format within the multi-part suite that just really captures our imagination. And that's why we're trying to preserve that art form and carry that torch."

Pulling narrative inspiration from Dune, Arthurian folklore, the Mars rover expedition, and "hypothetical astrophysics," Fearless is nothing less than Crown Lands' application to be the new Rush-and according to Comeau's hero-turned-texting buddy Alex Lifeson, the job is theirs for the taking. But while Fearless' staggering side-long suite, "Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II," readily conjures the sound and scope of Rush's 2112, the album is clearly the product of 2023, its fantastical, character-driven plot line functioning as a parable for real-world discussions about capitalism, colonization, and Indigenous struggle.