Will Powers’ latest single, ‘Toil’, taken from the LP ‘Snake-Skinned’, is the sound of malaise painted in vibrant 60s psychedelia, seeping into contemporary consciousness with every brashed-out twang and magnetically numbed indie vocal. The project, led by songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Oli Palkovits, draws from Sudbury’s resolve to resist despair and apathy, channelled through Palkovits’ signature occult psych punk and angular yet fluid arrangements.
As the poetry of ‘Toil’ unfurls, it delivers a sardonic fable of fortitude, laying bare the emotional tax of relentless reality – a world built to shatter your soul long before your body breaks. The lyricism pulses with world-weary realism, each line delivered with an effortless ache, while the instrumental layering invites listeners to submit to the synaesthetic current. Just as you settle into the folk-infused, acid-tinged landscape, the track dissolves the boundaries of its influences, pulling synth lines to the surface, proving that nostalgia and modern malaise can occupy the same fevered space.
The LP marks a return to Sudbury for Palkovits, who wrote much of Will Powers’ earliest material in Montreal before assembling a team of local luminaries: Jon Danyliw (bass), Dylan Kelly (drums), and Matt Beech (keys, guitar). With a Northern Ontario Music and Film Award already on the shelf and past appearances at M for Montreal, River & Sky, and Up Here Festival, ‘Toil’ doesn’t bother with false optimism or saccharine comfort. It is a synaesthesia-inducing synthesis of style, substance, sardonic soul, and sonic scintillation.
‘Toil’ is now available to stream on all major platforms; for the full experience, watch the official music video on YouTube.
Review by Amelia Vandergast