The change is sure to garner them a broader audience. Ilyas has a confident and charismatic voice, and as a writer he displays a penchant for super pop hooks. This is a young man who knows how to construct a 3 minute pop song. All of the six songs on this CD are a superb updating of the 60-ish riffs (the Beatles, the Who) so popular now amongst a certain segment of the Halifax music scene (Cool Blue Halo, Sloan, Superfriendz). They also add some sounds straight out of the earnest U2-ish rock of the early and mis 80s.
Mir is not content to merely live in the temple of retro-pop, however - they add at least a couple of new floors. Most important, they sound like they're having fun doing it!
The best song is the radio mini-hit (tune in to Q-104) "Surrey Fields", with its sing-along chorus, clever lyrics, and danceable beat that grabs you from the very beginning. There are other gems, however, particularly the infectiously anthemic rock of "Tomorrow" and the soaring string-laden pop of "Fire With Fire".
To paraphrase the title - "What's wrong with being Mir?" My answer - absolutely nothing at all!!
RATING ***1/2 [Best tracks ["Fire With Fire", "Surrey Fields", "Tomorrow"]
ph. (902)425-2859; e-mail kbp@istar.ca; website http://zeus.webworks.ca/mir
The single "Stuck like a hairpiece" is from their forthcoming CD "Neuken in de Keuken" (due in October), and it comes striaght from the alterna-pop school run by Sloan - the vocals and lyrics definitely bear the sound of Chris Murphy et al. Its a very catchy piece of pop fluff that succeeds in sticking in your head without requiring any effort to discern a greater meaning.
The other songs on the disc, however, indicate that the band possesses a more varied outlook than most around Halifax. The cheeky spoken word of "Evening With Daddy Goodtimes" shows an absurdist sense of humour, and "I Refuse To" exhibits a flair for what can only be called 'punkabilly'. Its literally all over the place, in a good way. Call it pre-planned chaos! The best song is "Hung Up By A String", with a country-rock feel that sounds like a cross between Blue Rodeo and the Replacements.
This disc has an underground feel to it, particularly on "Turning Blue", which works out just fine. The liner notes call it "an unexpected treat for those who await the Snaps' first full length studio album". Fair enough. I'll be interested to see just what "Neuken in de Keuken" contains.
RATING *** [Best tracks ""Turning Blue", "Hung Up By a String"]
ph. (902)466-2781 e-mail pleasant@ns.sympatico.ca
All of this is by way of introduction to the first CD from the Cornerboys, Halifax's best (yes, I said best!) pub band. The CD was recorded live at the Split Crow (not Halifax's best pub, but not a bad choice - they do serve Tartan on tap, which is a good thing!), and it exudes atmosphere. You can hear the crowd at almost every turn joining in the good time with the band, a four piece outfit that consists of Rob Currie, Carl Poirier, Kit Hunt, and Remy O'Brien. They all sing, but Currie is, as the boys say themselves when introducing each other, the band's 'leader'. He handles the majority of the lead vocals with a strong voice full of emotion and, at the appropriate times, sly and knowing wit. He also bears an uncanny resemblance to the actor who played Margaret's husband in "Margaret's Museum", but that's another story.
All of the traditional instruments are here, including the banjo, tin whistle, mandolin, and bhodran, so fans of Irish and Scottish folk tunes will be plenty pleased. The Cornerboys also take stabs at bluegrass, Neil Diamond (with a super cover of "Sweet Caroline"), country, and Maritime folk, on songs such as "Mother Miramichi" and the Stan Rogers number "Watching the Apples Grow". The high point has to be the one original tune in the bunch, however, Currie's stunningly beautiful "Rose of Avalon", with a mournful tin whistle 'solo' standing out. The only downside to the album is that they don't do their reggae-rap version of "Barrett's Privateers" (you have to hear it to fully appreciate it's twisted genius). Oh well. Maybe next time!
Why has the popularity of the Cornerboys grown so quickly over the past year, to the point where local musicians of the first calibre - Dave MacIssac here on the CD, Joan Kennedy live (but not on the CD. You had to be there!)- are happy to get up on stage with them? The answer is here on this CD. They don't take themselves too seriously, they're excellent musicians and folk interpreters, and they have a great sense of humour. Anyone who has ever played guitar live will be able to appreciate Currie dropping his 'lucky' pick into his guitar between "The Bonny Lass of Fyvie" and "Watching the Apples Grow". You can actually hear the damn thing rattle around in there (a hint that the production is top notch). Even the cover is funny, with its list of rejected CD titles (examples: "Shark Sandwich", "Rubber Soul", and my favourite, "Cornerboys: Aren't They Great, and Don't You Wish You Were Them?").
Don't misunderstand, however. This is not simply a novelty item. This CD is a must have for anyone even remotely interested in the "traditional Maritime sound", or for anyone who just wants to enjoy a great band playing their best and having a good time doing it!
RATING ***1/2 [Best tracks "Mother Miramichi" "Rose of Avalon" "Railroad Work Song"]
ph:(902) 420-9550 fax: (902) 420-9558
e-mail rjcurrie@is.dal.ca
Brooks is more than just listenable - when she sings, you can't help but smile. If voices were bodies of water, hers would be a gentle river nestled amidst the valleys, slowly winding its way to the sea with a graceful innocence. Her background includes a stint singing in dinner theatre, and its obvious that she has vocal training. She knows exactly where all of the notes are, and just when to hit them, or let them drift. Sigh. It's the kind of voice you remember mom having when she sang you lullabies.
Brooks is a good, developing songwriter as well, penning six of the eleven songs on the CD. She also has an uncanny knack for picking the right songs to cover, particularly her sprightly version of Lennie Gallant's "Slow Boat to China" and the traditional balad "When You and I Were Young, Maggie." Her own songs complement her voice well, and with her lyrics she demonstrates a solid ability to construct and convey a touching story, or a tender moment, or a regret. Standouts include "Maggie's Promise" and the title track. The best one is "Just This Piano", however. Simply beautiful.
Brooks has surrounded herself with a number of capable people, including Kevin Macmichael, Natalie McMaster, and Dave Waugh, just to name a few. The production is crisp and clean, and the cover artwork and design is beyond first rate - its extra special. This is a professional package through and through, one that shows Brooks clearly in control of her own career. Its a career, judging by this CD, that is destined for bigger things.
RATING *** [Best tracks: "Just This Piano", "I Feel The Winds of God", "Maggie's Promise"]
The thing with Sloan is that you hate to call any album great, or to give it a near perfect rating, because these fellows seem to have the uncanny knack to outdo themselves on each succeeding effort, to the point where one can only hope that we never start to take them for granted.
The comparisons to the Beatles on "One Chord to Another" are inevitable. From the beginning, "One Chord to Another" sounds like the kind of stuff we all wished the three remaining Beatles (if they absolutely had to release new material) had put out, instead of "Real Love". The harmonies on this CD are, dare I say it, 'fab', and the music is complex and involved. The CD demands repeated listening just to pick up all the clever little bits that the band has thrown in, all with the help of Laurence Currie, who is beginning to qualify as Halifax's George Martin. There is not a weak song on this release, although some stand out more than others. "Everything You've Done Wrong" is an irresitible piece of pop genius, and "The Good in Everyone" launches - literally - the CD with unabashed energy and enthusiasm. "Autobiography" shows the lyrical wit of the band, and "Anyone Who's Anyone" sounds like it's the long lost mystery track from "Revolver". Then there's "Junior Panthers", which should be a single - in fact, all of these songs could be singles for a lot of bands. On "The Lines You Amend" Ringo Starr even pops up in the lyrics.
As with Cool Blue Halo, however, this is not retro for the sake of retro. Sloan and Halo are both doing what they want to do, regardless of whether or not it's going to be popular with record company execs or industry bigwigs. Reminds me of another band, in another time... It's just nice to see that there's a lot of people out there who are willing to go along for the ride.
To not own "One Chord To Another" is to turn your back on pop music. It's that good.
RATING ****1/2 [Best tracks: "The Good in Everyone", "Everything You've Done Wrong", "Autobiography", "Can't Face Up"]
An example of the band's ability to construct a biting and witty lyric:
They call it a dog's life/ it's not so bad I guess/ the hardest part you'll find/ is to run with the chain around your neckFrom "Stone Alone"
One of the really great things about the Superfriendz is their ability to almost effortlessly switch gears without disrupting the flow of this 14 song CD. There are straight-up rockers like the insidiously wicked "Come Clean", with a driving riff that just grabs you by the stomach and turns you inside out (great work on the drums too!), and the power pop of "One Day" and "10 lbs", mixed in with the 'oohs' and 'ahs' of "Restricted" and the sweet, heart-felt ballad "Kiss The Land". Then there are songs like "Rescue Us From Boredom" which throw everything into one pot - slow and fast, calm and frenzied, tame and wild - all at once, pulling the listener up and down like a pop roller-coaster, to a powerfully discordant conclusion. Of course, the best 'slow' song can be found at the end. Call it the mystery track!
There are a couple of weak cousins on the CD, most notably "Fireflies", which just sort of drags on lamely. It is indulgent, particularly the musical "wanking" at the end. Even there, however, the song is at least partly redeemed by the nifty harmonies on the chorus. Still, it would have been better to have left that song - and perhaps one or two others - on the drawing board when the time came to decide what material to include on the CD.
These quibbles aside, "Mock Up, Scale Down" stands as a testament to the group's inventiveness and versatilty, and surely points the way to a bright future for these fugitives from the Justice League of America. It hasn't left my CD player since I bought it (five disc player, of course), right there next to Sloan. Makes for an enjoyable two hours of listening when Halifax's two best bands run back to back.
RATING **** [Best Tracks: "Come Clean", "Kiss The Land", "10 lbs", "When They Paid Me"]
The songs on this CD still have the ring of the traditional/rock sound that Chisolm began to develop on the beautiful "Seahorse" CD, but with a new country sensability added to the mix. Chisholm's voice, strained and slightly off-kilter, has always had a resonant twang anyway, so he's right at home when he's dealing with the rollicking feel good tunes of "Scraps From The Table", such as "I Close My Eyes" and "Happy Holiday" (which sounds like an outtake from the "We The Living" CD). He's a super lyricist, witty in a bright, ironically poppy way, and his music is catchy without being cliched. He and Sedore have always complemented each other well in terms of harmony vocals, as is clearly evident on a song such as "Happy Holidays". His ballads are hauntingly beautiful, particularly the wonderful ""G.F.&S/Gibraltar, France and Spain". Others are just pure fun, such as the rolliking "Born on Saturday Night", which sounds like an outtake from a Pogues jam session, with Chisholm doing his best Shane MacGowan growl.
What does the CD sound like at the end of the day? A beautiful mess, containing echoes of everything from early folk-rock to straight ahead country to rootsy traditional ballads. Its like Chisholm asked himself, "gee, John, what would you like to do today" and then went ahead and did it, regardless of what anyone might think. Good for him, and better for us. If Al Tuck is Halifax's Dylan redux, then Chisolm is clearly its Billy Bragg, Steve Earle, Paul Simon, and Neil Young - a constantly developing, always changing, eclectic genius, at home in a multitude of musical genres, confident in his abilities and the songs he creates.
Thank God for such "novelties". Here's hoping for many more!
RATING **** [Best tracks: "Born on Saturday Night", "Happy Holiday",
"Scraps From The Table", G.F.&S./Gibraltar, France and Spain"]
Robert Stewart, the singer, has an easy banter with the crowd and a stage presence earily reminiscent of a young Roger Daltrey. The guitarists, Bill Dean and Kevin MacDonald, effortlessly trade lead and rythym work. Dean in particular launched into some soaring mid-8th solos that served as great instrumental bridges from verse to verse. Bassist Jeff Kinsman maintains a solid groove, and flashes a winning smile that lets the audience know he's having as much fun as they are. Drummer Beth Taylor's work is uncluttered and straightforward, the epitomy of "backbeat".
Musically, Nathan's Flat bears more than a passing resemblance to Mathew Sweet's best work, as well as the harder stuff from the Grapes of Wrath (c. "These Days") and the Smiths. They are, however, eminently original, and are not afraid to occasionally climb out on a musical limb. On "The Source", for example, there is a current of funk swirling about their alterna-pop. These guys have some sure-fire radio hits when they get in a studio. "Sundogs", with a treblecharger type riff running throughout, is a killer single waiting to happen, and "Bitter Time" has a groove that you could dance to all night. They played 8 songs in 35 minutes, and the crowd obviously wanted more! By the end of the set they, like myself, had gone from wondering who this band was to wondering where they would be playing next.
This could be the next "big thing". These guys might be called Nathan's Flat, but they're the sharpest new band I've heard in a long time!
RATING ****
Links to other sites on the Web
Joanne Merriam's female vocal music, with references to bands with female singers, from Halifax and beyond, incl. Kudzu, Jale, Julia's Rain, Plum Tree, and Rebecca West
The Picaro [from MSVU]
Julia's Rain homepage, with some good links
Nathan's Flat website
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