Prairie Cat's Romantic Cynicism

"Who Knows Where to Begin?", the album-opening title track from Prairie Cat's new full-length, starts with the lyric, "Who knows where to begin? / Let's just start at the end." And just like that, the Vancouver songwriter also known as Cary Pratt reminds us of exactly what makes him so charming and brilliant.

This song, like much of his catalogue, is wry, ironic, and poignant in its defeatism. It traces a failing relationship, with Pratt suggesting, "Let's just say that we did / Even though that we didn't / Let's be friends."

And yet, despite the depressing sentiment, the quirky keyboard tones and easygoing pop melodies mean that the song is infectiously bright. Pratt is primarily a drummer by trade -- you might have recently seen him playing backup percussion in the Canadian supergroup Mounties -- and he keeps things bouncy with a Latin-inflected groove.

The Ryan Dahle-produced Who Knows Where to Begin? is Pratt's first album since 2009's It Began/Ended with Sparks, and it finds him in a characteristically cynical, humorous headspace. Catchy lead single "Got Nothin'" captures the mood perfectly, as Pratt sings about a couple's emotional manipulation and builds up to a zinger about his partner's engagement ring: "I never bought it for you."

Sometimes he's snide and snarky: "No Bedroom" is steeped in paranoia, as jagged guitars and horns slice through a brisk electric piano groove while the lyrics tell of infidelity and finding comfort in the arms of a lover's best friend. Other times, he's full of regret: the achingly gorgeous "Bad Storm" is laden with mournful strings, and Pratt confesses, "I'm not the one I said I was / Sometimes I fuckin' lie just 'cause."

Then again, it's not all a total downer, since "You Weren't There" sweetens its chastisements of a judgmental friend with a gloriously buzzy synth hook, and "Beautiful Baby" closes the album on a peppy note with folksy campfire guitar.

When I inevitably find myself humming along and tapping my foot to these tunes, it means that Prairie Cat has once again succeeded in turning heartbreak into indie pop magic.

Local music fans who want to fall under Prairie Cat's spell should pick up a copy of Who Knows Where to Begin? and alert all of their friends. You might want to avoid gifting this album to your girlfriend or boyfriend, however -- that is unless you want to send a very specific sort of message.