Spencer Schoening of Juno Award-winning indie rock band Said The Whale somehow found time in his busy touring schedule to step out from behind his drum kit and record a solo album. Pidgin Music features eleven tracks all written by Schoening, save for a respectable rendition of Panda Bear‘s “Ponytail.”

If that is not prolific enough, Schoening can also be credited with most of the instrumentation on Pidgin Music, aside from Joel Reid’s saxophone on “Sleef” and Simon Marmorek’s drumming on “Ponytail.” Crisply recorded by Emily Sheane and Kaylee Rae, Pidgin Music shows Schoening to be a very creative, well-rounded and driven musician.

Lyrically, the album is centered on themes of love, whether it be unrequited (“If You Have The Time”), lost (“Sleef”) or blooming (“On the Stairs”), and musically driven by Schoening’s clever sense of rhythm, which is best showcased on the songs “Sleef” and “Ring Finger.”

As a whole, Pidgin Music is a diverse collection of songs coalesced into a captivating and fun album by an up and coming musician.