Thus Owls

Erika Angell voice, keys
Simon Angell guitar
Samuel Joly drums
Jason Sharp bass saxophone

Founded in Stockholm, based in Montreal, Thus Owls is the ongoing creative project of Erika and Simon Angell. The duo's fifth album sees them continue their tradition of reinvention, from their early indie records to 2015's synth-laden Black Matter EP and 2018's The Mountain That We Live Upon, which featured an ensemble of four guitarists. Here they turned to long-time collaborator Samuel Joly (drums), but also to a trio of saxophone players: Claire Devlin (tenor), Adam Kinner (tenor) and Jason Sharp (bass sax), each of whom write and perform as independent composers. The goal was not just to feature soloists, or a glossy smear of horns, but to invent a startling, aggressive new musical language—one which reflected the Angells' roots in jazz and improv, and their dream of a vivid, interwoven sound.

★★★★ "..nothing less than a masterpiece" - Le Devoir

"★★★★★ "..a frank, adventurous and dazzling album, imbued with a painful rip that brings out the great beauty of this hair-raising work that will be one of my favorite albums of 2022." - ARP.Media

Thus Owls remains one of the greatest groups of universal potential to come from MTL." - PanM360

8/10 "..proving that the harder it is to categorize music, the better it usually is. There is no point in trying to define if Who Would Hold You If The Sky Betrayed Us? is jazz or rock. It's both of these things and much more." - Exclaim!

"At first, you may ask yourself which aspect of "Who Would Hold You Id The Sky Betrayed Us?" is more compelling? Is it Erika Angell's potently voiced lyrics, which you can't help but confront if you tried? Or is it the wildly imaginative explorations of the music? Fortunately, bot elements are so strong that this simply isn't a question at all, as the combined force of the two just sweeps you away with tsunami-like power. - Irregular Dreams