Tennyson King – it’s a name that evokes notions of classic, literary depth and majesty. But it also has the hallowed ring of the gritty, earthy roots of rock and roll. In a sense these are both correct as it is the name – or nom de plume – of Toronto-based musician/composer/producer Alfred Chow’s exciting new musical odyssey.

The self-titled Tennyson King EP, produced by Derek Downham (Serena Ryder, Kevin Drew) sees Chow’s inventive musical persona bringing together the emotional intensity and dark sweetness of the blues with compositional and production techniques that feature a lush, layered, psychedelic and 1970s rock sensibility, all wrapped up in contemporary, modern lustre that gives the music an appeal that transcends genre and demographics.