“Something’s Going On” leads off KoAk’s debut LP, Morningtime Stumble, with the whispered lyric, “When I believed in you, I said I could not live without you.”Seemingly a broken cry, the sentiment is soon lifted on train rail rhythms and building guitar work. As the frail song lurches into its final refrain, it is carried on a splintering momentum. Damaged and beautiful, it’s an anthem for the fallen.

Based out of Fredericton, KoAk has been the moniker for Ian Wilson’s bedroom recordings since his early teens. Stockpiling track after track, he would sporadically perform a collection of the material and then disappear again for months at a time. After the completion of Morningtime Stumble though, Wilson’s girlfriend and drummer Meg Folkins decided to send the album to fellow New Brunswick artist, Shotgun Jimmie.

Upon receiving the paper-clad album, which bore nothing more than a potato stamp that read “KoAk,” Jim was somewhat skeptical. This quickly faded after hearing music contained on the CD-R though. He soon sent the tracks to his label, Delorean Recordings. A month later, plans were in the works for the album to be re-released on the Halifax based label.

Morningtime Stumble’s ten tracks range from the seaside dirge of “Foggycoast” to the longing notes of “There is a Lion.” Holding onto the influences of lo-fi figureheads The Microphones and Eric’s Trip, Wilson’s songs thrive with the lack of studio polish. Using this aesthetic as a tool, the album’s sound never betrays the lyrical content, making for a cohesive and incredibly powerful collection of music.