For months I’ve been noticing the mysterious double EP by Lee Livingston, but knowing nothing about her I always opted for something more familiar. Luckily, I finally took a chance on the bass player for local Vancouver artsies The Radio, and I’m not just impressed by the results, I’m astounded. How come nobody’s heard of her?? It’s one of those crazy mysteries of life maybe, and these CDs are a perfect example to prove wrong those critics who still feel as though any musician who’s worth listening to has a healthy hype to boot. I mean, seriously. Each CD is four tracks, presumably with Morning to be played before Afterlife. Morning spans styles from deceptively simple acoustic and alt-country to a rocking experimental melodrama reminiscent of Blonde Redhead. Both Morning and Afterlife share a dark current that feels like a hand gently tugging the listener downwards, though Morning has a sense of peace and happiness that distinguishes it from its sister album. Both also share a wonderfully rough level of production that only emphasizes the quality of the songwriting. I don’t know where this album came from, or what it’s supposed to mean, but I know that without it my new year may have already been much rougher.