In becoming acquainted with Toronto, Ontario’s Five Blank Pages, one
cannot help but think of the proverbial weekend cottage, indulging in
long strolls by a lapping shore or drawing closer to loved ones by camp
fire on cool Canadian nights.
The honesty and innocence of Five Blank Pages is conveyed through pop
strains of delicate harmonies, bursts of crackling distortion and
irresistible melodic hooks – yet it isn’t this that melts your heart as
much as the bond this real-life family cultivates on stage. Formed in
2003 in Brampton, Ontario, Five Blank Pages consists of
singer/songwriter Noyan Hilmi (vocals, guitars), then girlfriend (now
wife), Pinar Ozyetis (vocals, keys), Noyan’s sister Chelen Hilmi,
(drums, vocals) and friend of longstanding, Rajiv Thavanathan.
Combining expressive melancholic chord structures with often buoyant
and uplifting rhythms, Five Blank Pages conjure sketches of artists
such as The Weakerthans, Pedro The Lion, Hayden, Death Cab For Cutie,
and many East-Coast indie groups of the early 90’s, while
recontextualizing this canon with their own originality and mark.
Their debut 6-song EP “Spaces to Occupy and Abandon” (distributed by Universal Music) has allowed the quartet to garner a sizeable following, playing showcases such as the Halifax Pop Explosion, CMW, NXNE, S.C.E.N.E. Fest, Brampton Indie Arts Fest and …
In becoming acquainted with Toronto, Ontario’s Five Blank Pages, one
cannot help but think of the proverbial weekend cottage, indulging in
long strolls by a lapping shore or drawing closer to loved ones by camp
fire on cool Canadian nights.
The honesty and innocence of Five Blank Pages is conveyed through pop
strains of delicate harmonies, bursts of crackling distortion and
irresistible melodic hooks – yet it isn’t this that melts your heart as
much as the bond this real-life family cultivates on stage. Formed in
2003 in Brampton, Ontario, Five Blank Pages consists of
singer/songwriter Noyan Hilmi (vocals, guitars), then girlfriend (now
wife), Pinar Ozyetis (vocals, keys), Noyan’s sister Chelen Hilmi,
(drums, vocals) and friend of longstanding, Rajiv Thavanathan.
Combining expressive melancholic chord structures with often buoyant
and uplifting rhythms, Five Blank Pages conjure sketches of artists
such as The Weakerthans, Pedro The Lion, Hayden, Death Cab For Cutie,
and many East-Coast indie groups of the early 90’s, while
recontextualizing this canon with their own originality and mark.
Their debut 6-song EP
“Spaces to Occupy and Abandon” (distributed by Universal Music) has allowed the quartet to garner a sizeable following, playing showcases such as the
Halifax Pop Explosion,
CMW,
NXNE,
S.C.E.N.E. Fest,
Brampton Indie Arts Fest and
Over the Top Fest. The long-awaited full-length follow-up,
“Last Blush”,
is the sonic equivalent of an explosion of indie-pop styling and
colour. This said, please don’t misconstrue this band as some
calculating denizen of the commercial world of some latter day
Partridge Family. This is a group in their earnest creating solemn
heartfelt songs that capture the poignancy of Canadian independent
lo-fi/hi-fi rock. Understood? Good. Now come warm yourself by the fire.
- Ranbir Gundu, 2007
For more info, visit the band's site at
www.fiveblankpages.com.
