Cindy Lee - Model Express

Model Express gathers the stray transmissions of Cindy Lee, the shadowy pop project of Canadian musician Patrick Flegel, onto a single LP of B-sides and lost hits.

The collection first surfaced in 2018 as a tiny run of 100 gold cassettes, the kind of release that becomes a whispered legend. Flegel, formerly the guitarist and singer of Calgary band Women, has spent years refining Cindy Lee into something singular, and the wide acclaim that greeted Diamond Jubilee in 2024 sent a new wave of listeners digging back through the catalogue.

What they find here is classic Cindy Lee: aching, girl-group melodies drifting through layers of lo-fi haze, with warped guitars and keyboards that sound like they were beamed in from another decade. The title track glides along with eerie poise, while "What Can I Do" is a psych-pop highlight with the feel of a lost sixties single.

"Diamond Ring" has a looser, dreamier flow, and a haunted cover of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" turns the old standard into a late-night seance.

Collaged and strange in all the best ways, it is a vital piece of the puzzle for anyone drawn into Cindy Lee's world, and a fine place to linger after Diamond Jubilee.