Odd Marshall is that strange guy in the backwoods. His songs speak of world travels, but with this impressive debut, it kind of feels like he’s come out of nowhere. New single, “Midsummer,” is inspired by “a winter I spent in Karlstad, Sweden with three hours of sunlight. I kept dreaming of the well-advertised Midsomer festival on the island of Visby.” In contrast to a lot of the darker material on Odd Marshall’s forthcoming debut album, Sand & Glue, this one is a respite from the globally-imploding century we live in. There’s a time to focus on serious realities of the world, and then there are times when you want to shut it all out for a moment and sing a happy song. Go ahead, sing this one.

Odd Marshall’s forthcoming debut album, Sand & Glue, is a collection of songs both dark and bright. From start to finish, he takes listeners around the world with a strong back beat and infectious hooks, with production by Don Kerr, Mike O’Brien on lead guitar and Jason Haberman on bass. If they’re not known as Canada’s “Wrecking Crew,” they should be.