St. Arnaud is the project of Edmonton-based Ian, formerly of the pop trio North of Here – a band that dissolved after the tragic loss of one of its members. Since then, he’s been releasing music under the St. Arnaud name, putting out two full-length albums (The Cost of Living and Love And The Front Lawn) and steadily carving out a space in the DIY folky-Americana world. He just released the Strange Collection EP back in September, so the pace is quick – and now, on November 14th, we have How Lucky, a new 3-song EP.
If we were bowling, I’d say he got the turkey!
There’s a clear influence from Jonathan Richman in the writing, and sonically, I’d draw comparisons to Widowspeak, but Ian’s voice is very much his own.
1. “How Lucky” (3:11)
The EP opens very strongly – upbeat brass, a confident rhythm section, and a melody that feels instantly familiar. The call and response in the chorus (“The sun on my face, how lucky it is to be alive / I never want to leave this place”) is incredibly singable, the kind of line you want to shout with the windows down.
I’m absolutely in love with the little twangy guitar solos that weave around the acoustic guitar and brass. There are these lonely organ pads tucked in the back that I honestly didn’t notice until the end, but they fill everything out in a really lovely way.
Knowing his past – the losses he’s experienced, even a near accidental overdose – the reflections here feel genuine. You can tell he’s a seasoned musician, confident in what he’s been through, and lyrically, it all lands with sincerity.
Ian himself described the track as “an upbeat, simple gratitude song… meant to be light-hearted, sun shining, and carefree.” And that’s exactly what it feels like.
Sweet as maple taffy in the winter, or like lemonade on a hot day.
A perfect opener.
2. “Sunshine” (3:55)
The spoken-word intro is such a nice touch – inviting, almost like a confession before the song blooms into the repeated “sunshine, sunshine!”
The guitar sits in this funky pocket under a gorgeous organ-ish synth pad, and the drums hold everything together in this effortless, understated way. It kind of reminds me of Cass McCombs. By this point, it’s very clear he’s found his sound.
The dynamics are excellent: when everything drops out to just vocals and guitar, you can really hear how full the arrangement becomes once the band comes back in. The background “ahhhhh” vocals are tucked away just enough to make the whole thing feel warm and heavenly.
It fades out beautifully.
This is one I’d put on during a rough day – something to lift you or let you have a good cry.
My favourite track of the EP.
3. “Better Than Fine” (3:50)
The third track opens with a great line:
“I’m really in a state of restlessness and realisation, when we met by the lake, I only swam out of agitation.”
He’s telling a story here – vulnerable, honest, and easy to connect with. Lines like “is my name already someone else to you?” and “are you still nodding along to the same bands that we used to?” feel like reading a letter to a close friend.
The brass lifts the whole thing to another level, and the bass crawling up on the line “better than fine” is such a good moment. It’s a strong closer – lyric-forward, but supported by an incredibly thoughtful arrangement. I really hope I get to see him live someday if he makes it to Europe/Ireland.
Highlights & Strengths
Best Track: Sunshine (Track 2)
Best Moments: The brass + those twangy Americana guitar solos
Strongest Elements: The writing, the production, the performance – honestly, everything. Ian has clearly put in the work, and it shows.
My only complaint? I wish it were more than three songs. But luckily, there’s plenty of his discography to dive into.
9/10
Written by John Drifter (drifting.)
