Malcolm Bauld

Covered In Dust

[4/5]

Malcolm Bauld has been a key figure in Montreal’s punk community for longer than most other members of it have known what punk is, having fronted the Frenetics for a number of years and worked closely with Yesterday’s Ring, Fifth Hour Hero and others. With his new solo album, Covered In Dust, Bauld collects his experience and dishes it out in 10 tracks that are as much Bruce Springsteen as they are the Clash, with bits of piano, Billy Bragg and Greg MacPherson thrown in. His new solo work is relaxed and full, with an emphasis on gorgeous folk ballads, but that’s a good thing this time around. Perfectly paired with the music are Bauld’s experiences and outlook on life. Anyone involved in Canada’s independent music community already knows Malcolm Bauld, and with Covered In Dust, there’s no reason why those in the United States shouldn’t, either. (ART OF THE UNDERGROUND) Ben Conoley