By this point, if you're still reading, you either agree with me (while wondering how any band could possibly produce music to match that opening) or you're hoping the robots kill me first. Thankfully, these four Canadian nerd-throbs managed to create an album that not only did everything mentioned above, but also revitalized my hope that new bands could do things, period. This album was released in 2006 during a time in my life when I was convinced nothing good had come out by a band formed after 1993. Despite my musical history being a veritable litany of miscalculations and errors, these sprite young fellows showed up on MTV's website, which promoted their new album. To be honest, I can't even take credit for finding them. That prestigious honor goes to one Mr. Sausage, a college comrade of mine, who still had faith in the musical landscape of our world (and apparently used to be real into the MTV website). Turns out, it's a damn good thing he did.
Next, handclaps and synth smoothly transition you into a zone of false comfort in the first verse of "Citizens of Tomorrow". This comfort is expertly interrupted by the introduction of the guitar, drums and screamed vocals, which is the heart of what happens to be my personal favorite track on the album. Thankfully, their proclamation that the animatronic overlord Armageddon would happen in 2009 turned out to be false. (Or did it?) Either way, your first lesson in how to potentially rise up against these evildoers is brought to you in "Shoulders and Arms". It contains shimmering cascades of guitars and a great loud-quiet/quick-slow dynamic throughout that continues to show the versatility possible in such a small space.
Having seemingly failed in defeating our oppressors, "If It Works"showcases a rolling drumbeat and a high in the mix bass building to a suddenly quiet "transmission from your robot masters"-esque silence that ends abruptly with the return of the next verse. Perhaps all faith isn't lost just yet. "Be Good", a last ditch effort to retain humanity, is another favorite of mine that repackages all of the elements seen throughout the first five songs into a shiny new treat. A guitar/bass combo kicks in at the 30 second mark and is the kind of musical moment I wouldn't mind having as a personal theme music. Due to the similarity throughout, some critics worried about their follow up albums' potential to become a stale rehashing of old ideas (turns out, they were great and unique instead).
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| Die you robot scum! |
The album closes with the most obviously unique track, "Le Ferrassie", starting off almost entirely absent of the desperation, pace and style of everything else we've heard up to this point. It would seem the robots have defeated mankind as a spooky synth line accompanies a downtrodden vocal delivery. At the midway point however, similar musical themes re-emerge, giving the listener hope that perhaps Neo will one day know kung-fu. Having been stuck in my own barren wasteland of a musical rut when exploring new bands, this album provided the same glimmer of hope, like the quintessential blade of grass growing through a crack in the asphalt. Taking the time to look back, music can be a fantastic way to chart your (hopeful) growth as a person. Doing so can also help to remind me that things I'm hesitant to investigate right now may someday become all I want to listen to and talk about in the future (if the robots let us).
Final Score: .88 You're Living All Over Me's
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