Maps of the Night Sky

Behind the guises of what we collectively consider “real,” the invisible chemical chaos that is the truth flows as absolutely as the emotions in our bodies. It is these dual realities, the known and unknown, that Toronto’s Maps of the Night Sky roam with open eyes, breathing in the dawns and dusks and letting the bullshit fall by the wayside. Formed in 2002, Maps of the Night Sky’s self-titled debut full-length follows through on the tender promise of their critically acclaimed 2004 EP, Twilighters, and continues their pursuit of literate, penetrating lyrics and modest, engaging indie rock. Recorded at Chemical Sound Studios and the band’s own Tinshop Recorders, the album casually cascades between achingly barebone guitar treks (‘Compression Applies’, ‘Islands’), crowd-moving hip-shakers (‘We Were Young’, ‘Listen to God’), and piano-led dirges drowned in darkest night (‘When Monologues Fail’) with simple grace and firey passion. Laying back and letting Maps of the Night Sky pass over you is akin to being paid a visit from an old friend—deeply personal, chivalrous and considerate. There are no attempts at grandeur, no need to try to impress. Just s... more...