Northern Exposure: Secret Broadcast, 'I Am Sound' -- Free MP3

If you're looking for the next hotbed of Canadian talent, Calgary's definitely a contender -- in recent years, the city's fertile music scene has spawned notable acts like Chad Vangaalen, Women, Woodpigeon and more.

Add indie-rock trio Secret Broadcast to that list -- though they first came to listeners' attention in 2007 with their well-received 'Plastic Fantastic' EP, they've just gotten around to releasing their debut full-length, 'Exploding Spiders' (the title is taken from a Jack Kerouac quote).

The album was helmed by Juno Award-winning producer Lawrence Currie (Sloan, Wintersleep, Holy F---) and showcases Secret Broadcast's atmospheric rock sound, anchored by big guitars and retro-ish synths. It's the kind of spiky pop with deep hooks that bands like Metric or the Stills (two acts Secret Broadcast has opened for) trade in.

The trio -- singer/guitarist Matt Lightstone, drummer Bryan Craig and bassist John de Jesus -- certainly has the "epic" thing down. They sound like they have twice the members on the album's dozen tracks, many of which share a high level of intensity. The uncharacteristic arrangement of a tune like 'I Am Sound' -- a reworked version of a fan favourite from the EP -- helps set it apart.

While the song's still large in scope, thanks to Secret Broadcast's driving rhythm section and killer buzzy guitar lines, instead of simply following the tired old formula of racheting up the layers of melody as fast and loud as possible, there's a nice variation of tempos and instrumentation throughout to keep things interesting.

You never really know where the song's about to take you, but with Lightstone's urgent vocals and the hooky "Don't turn it around" chorus, you'll want to stick around through its sonic twists and turns to figure out the secret to this rising act's unique sound.

Download: 'I Am Sound' (MP3)

Catch Secret Broadcast live on their cross-Canada tour, beginning Sept. 4 at Lydia's in Saskatoon.