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By: Justin Haley
March 2008
Raine Maida is an interesting fellow. He is a man who holds many reputable titles; he's a singer, songwriter, poet, activist, father, and husband (to Canadian songbird Chantal Kreviazuk). Of course many know Maida as the fonder and lead singer of the massively successful Canadian rock band Our Lady Peace (who where together for nearly 15 years enjoying world-wide success and critical praise). Maida’s break from Our Lady Peace represents his overall transition in life, which became evident in the early part of the new millennium. Since then he has garnered quite a bit media attention. A shift from rock star to vocal advocator. From celebrity to human rights crusader.
Maida, who just turned 38, has become increasingly outspoken on social and political issues dedicating himself to vocalizing the stark reality of our unbalanced world. He is a proud spokesperson for Make Poverty History and War Child Canada. His website, rainemaida.net, is abundant with links to socially progressive networks, charities, and individual activists Maida respects and admires. In terms of art, look no further than his new solo album to see evidence of the evolution of Raine Maida.
With The Hunter's Lullaby, which was released this past November, Maida has proceeded musically in a very different direction than his previous works with OLP. His solo effort has been infused with a wide range of genres and musical techniques. Each of the twelve tracks is a mix of folk, punk, acoustic rock, and hip hop. He has produced an eclectic arrangement of beats which actually act more as a canvas for the hearty and intricate lyrical word choices. Many sections of the record are actually produced through spoken word technique, emphasizing the poetic nature of each song. Maida has expressed on his official myspace page just how intimate these songs are claiming "these are personal journals put to beats and chords in a way I'd yet to experiment with." He has expressed in numerous interviews how the process for this album was developed first with poems, then beats and finally finishing with chords.
Maida has placed the overall theme of "The quest to be a decent human being" on the album. However, important themes of war, violence, religion, youth, politics and social injustices also resonate powerfully through the entire record. The originality of The Hunter's Lullaby is refreshingly daring, and his willingness to tackle any subject matter is truly fascinating. In explaining the motive for the album, Maida simply breaks it down to: "Ultimately you must venture out on your own to determine the meaning of life."
Links:
http://www.rainemaida.net
http://www.myspace.com/rainemaida
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