These days, it seems like the media likes to make a big stink about Canadians. From South Park to This American Life, Canadians are (albeit lightheartedly) treated as almost inhuman -- sneaky foreigners attempting to integrate their master plan into American hegemony. Just look at Peter Jennings, man! That’s why I find it ironically amusing that Canadian Terry Miles, the man behind Ashley Park, has named his new album The American Scene.

While maintaining the same twee, childlike vocals and quirky instrumentation that make Kindercore the most aptly named record label of all time, Miles adds an extremely mellow and mysterious spin to the mix. Slide guitars and layers of thick keyboards haunt minor chord changes over downtempo grooves.

Curiously, American Scene's first two songs, "The Old Masquerade" and "The Last Day in the Life of Grand", lift melodies almost verbatim from the songs "Tonight it Shows" and "Holes" from Mercury Rev’s brilliant Deserter’s Songs. Honestly, it’s incredible that nobody warned Miles he might be accused of plagiarism. While Deserter’s Songs is indeed a great reference point for how to make an incredible album, it forces me to view The American Scene in a slightly different light and to listen with a slightly suspicious ear. Still, these are good songs, especially if you weren’t aware of the Deserter's Songs connection. "The Last Day..." serves to introduce a vaguely post-apocalyptic theme, reminding me of a less grandiose Soft Bulletin: "Surf's up for the moment, but the moment doesn’t last. Hit the west coast of Wisconsin, drive through the ruins of old LA, sitting talking to a friend. The last day in the life of grand."

The American Scene is far from a downer of a concept album. The disc's latter half swings upbeat for some tuneful, breezy pop songs. The sweet "Clear the Corners" takes a (successful) turn in the popular practice of Belle and Sebastian-ism: its Brubeck-like Rhodes skips along below Casio horns and quiet vocals augmented by Kelly Haigh’s sweet harmonies. The subtle indie funk of "The Last Train Home" sparks additional déjà vu, suggesting Yo La Tengo’s "Be Thankful for What You Got." "The Great Divide" takes a stab at the Rolling Stones’ grit, but with the devilishness of Call and Response, while "Arkansas, Until the Sun" is a lackluster Beatles waltz.

The album's highlight comes when Miles pays direct homage to one of his influences with a harmoniously correct cover of fellow Canadian Neil Young’s "Tell Me Why." It's one of the few inspiring covers I’ve heard in quite a while.

While The American Scene is a great listen for dreamy afternoons, Ashley Park never quite lives up to the sum of its (sometimes too obvious) influences. Blame lack of dynamics -- a frequent pitfall for one-man bands. While pretty much everything else is excellent -- well written tunes, lyrics, melodies and production -- the songs always end at the same volume and tempo at which they began, leading to a vague sense of monotony. I should make it clear that I like this album more than I’ve let on, and definitely recommend it to fans of Beulah, the softer side of Elf Power or The Apples in Stereo; it will make a pleasantly mellow compliment to your pop collection. Or maybe I’m just being harsh because I fear the Canadian Invasion. Peter Jennings, man!