Art-rock and funk join hands in a marriage of stutter and groove, officiated by Pastel Blank. Formed in 2019, the Montréal-based project is led by singer/songwriter Angus Watt. Pulling influence from the jerky rhythms and genre-blending curiosity of Talking Heads as well as the interlocking guitar-work of Canadian post-punk luminaries Women, the music of Pastel Blank cloaks experimentation in pop-minded song structure. Skeletal, wobbly guitars squeeze around the propulsive engine of thumping bass and drums, driving the beat forward as Watt’s percussive voice weaves a stream of cryptics into tongue-in-cheek wordplay reminiscent of Stephen Malkmus or Dan Bejar. Their new EP, Pastel Blanc, is out now. Having been recorded with fellow Victoria-based music multi-hyphenate David Parry, known for producing fellow Vancouver Island acts, Loving and Jons, as well as the highly acclaimed international artist, Alice Phoebe Lou, the Pastel Blanc EP is an eclectic jumble of wonderfully wonky guitar-tones, picturesque storytelling, and an altogether clockwork of uncanny grooves.