Music

Road to Polaris: Colin Stetson on 'New History Warfare Vol. 3'

by Nicole Villeneuve

Colin Stetson is on the Polaris Music Prize short list for a second time with the conclusion of his New History Warfare trilogy. Likely the most accessible of Stetson’s solo material, New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light is a satisfying close to an expressive, experimental collection that has reached more listeners than many could have expected. Equally renowned for his collaborations with artists like Arcade Fire, Tom Waits, and the National, Vol. 3 finds Stetson enlisting Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, whose vocals anchor nearly half of the record. A bridge between multiple genres and scenes, Stetson has reached a new peak with this ambitious closing chapter.