Robert Diack - Small Bridges (2022)

Small Bridges is the uncompromising new album from drummer, producer, and composer Robert Diack. After his debut, Lost Villages –an extremely focused concept album about a series of flooded townships in Southern Ontario – Diack wanted to explore a broader swath of genre and texture for his hour-long sophomore release. Small Bridges escorts the listener through a wide variety of expansive musical spaces shaped by impressive genre bending production techniques. Drawing inspiration from contemporary and traditional jazz, post-rock, fusion, and country music, Diack weaves his way deftly through this album, making clear his broad artistic vision.

“I’m reminded of how Phillip Glass speaks of the intimate nature of the piano in his composition Opening from his album Glassworks” says Diack in reference to the opening track of the album. The attention to sonic detail is immediately clear: this album is truly a Hi-Fi fanatic’s dream. This initially inviting flow of Hollow hides where the song leads: it’s truly a tour-de-force of exuberant musicianship from a strong cast of some of Canada’s best young talent. The album’s sound is defined by layers of guitars contrasted with intimate piano, interspersed with complicated moments of layered meters, all packaged with an extremely focused attention to production detail and audio fidelity.

Written entirely in his cramped, overpriced New York apartment, Small Bridges is a reflection of Diack’s experience uprooting countries, moving from Canada to study in the USA. This music was composed during an intense period of culture shock and isolation, and was recorded while he was in Canada for the release of Lost Villages. Small Bridgesclearly demonstrates the deliberate line that runs through Diack’s entire body of work – not only in terms of the ensemble’s sound, but with regards to the album’s visual appearance as well. This compelling new record is a brilliant showcase of young Canadian talent, featuring cutting edge improvisation and production.