Welcome to week three of our Polaris short list listening party. This time around, the feature album is I Predict a Graceful Expulsion from Ontario-raised, U.K.-based singer-songwriter Cold Specks, a.k.a Al Spx.
ListenFull album stream [expires Aug. 8 at midnight ET, 2012]
It's been a breakout year for the 24-year-old songwriter, who piqued ears earlier last year with her jokingly self-described "doom-soul" sound. Last November, as an unsigned artist, Spx earned herself a much-coveted spot on the stage of the U.K. show Later... with Jools Holland, and was declared an artist to watch by tastemakers like The Guardian and NME.
She released her Polaris shortlisted debut album in May of this year, just in time for it to be a contender for this year's prize.
"I try not to think about [the Polaris short list nomination] much, but I'm very pleased to be on that list with all those great, great musicians," Spx said when she spoke with Jian Ghomeshi on CBC's Q this past May.
You can stream Cold Specks' album, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion, at CBC Music until Aug. 8 at midnight ET.
What do you think of Cold Specks I Predict a Graceful Expulsion? Let us know in the comments.
Related:
How Cold Specks almost missed her big break
How I Write: Cold Specks
Cold Specks live in Studio Q
Full Polaris Prize coverage at CBCMusic.ca/Polaris2012