Never Better Releases Mellow Tracks Downtown (Feat. Mitch Davis) and Silver Lining
Album art by Jem Woolidge
There's this feeling I get when I enter a new era of my life when I realize that the last chapter is slowly slipping away but not quite gone yet. I feel the change around me but can't see it yet other than the faintest signs that things won't be how they are for much longer.
This moment usually comes during mundane moments, walking home from the grocery store, waiting for the light to change at Parc and Fairmount. Never Better's (AKA Rhys Climenhage) latest tracks Downtown (feat. Mitch Davis) and Silver Lining encapsulate this feeling.
Lowkey vocals and gentle guitar take you by the hand, guiding you through an existential crisis that you're pushing out of your mind, walking you home through the rain. Light drums and the occasional instrumental interlude break up the vocals just long enough to gather your thoughts before you get home. You're left feeling comforted yet aware that you'll have to process these emotions sometime soon.
Rhys Climenhage is a multi-instrumentalist originally from Peterborough, Ontario, currently living in Montreal, Quebec, where he performs as Never Better. Prior to his solo endeavours, Rhys was active playing in bands Stacey Green Jumps, Texas Wayne, Frank Mothman, and Sasha Cay.
He draws inspiration from his father, a painter and career musician who taught him his first few chords on guitar. After a few years of fiddling on all of the instruments available around the house, Rhys picked up more technical training in his high school jazz band. Today, he plays every instrument on his recordings in his apartment studio built over the years while working in kitchens around the city.
Never Better
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Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.
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