Fucked Up, Laughing, Energy Slime, Saint Idiot
Fucked Up - Another Day
Fucked Up has officially turned into one of those bands that we take for granted. The intense power of exceptional guitar interplay, the thunderous rhythm section and the hardcore growl of frontman Damian Abraham are always there for us, we are spoiled (especially with their Canadian tours, the past two years they’ve played Edmonton three times!). The new album is the first one I’ve become obsessed with since Year Of The Horse. Before writing this small review, I set out to figure out why and zeroed in on two things. One is its immediacy, it’s short and to the point, similar to urgency of One Day (the album they recorded in 24 hours). The other big factor is the way the guitars work together to craft the melodic backbone alongside Abraham's voice. Add to that the way they cool the vocal intensity with harmonies. When a band has stood the test of time like Fucked Up, I’ve learnt that it’s important to check in every once in a while to catch up on what you’ve missed.
Laughing - Because It’s True
Montreal band Laughing are making music 30 years late. Their brand of alt-pop would have topped the charts in the 90s when bands like Gin Blossoms, Superchunk, or The Lemonheads were getting substantial airtime on all radio stations. I’d argue that their debut album takes those sounds and builds on them, cutting out some of the grunge elements and adding a jangly vibe to the perfect alt-pop hooks that were everywhere when I was a young lad. The album showcases a maturation process from its members who’ve played in various great indie bands (Nap Eyes, Monomyth, Human Music and Fountain). It’s a flawless debut, you can tell they approached the project with a clear vision and truly delivered. Every track would be at home on my boombox in the late 90s and I’ve been loving the nostalgic moments it brings.
Energy Slime - Planet Perfect
Life partners Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle finally deliver their debut album as Energy Slime. The Vancouver duo took their time over the pandemic to test and tweak all sorts of fun sounds and ideas and as a result, Arner delivers his best production work to date. Expertly crafted electro-pop permeates through the ten tracks with all sorts of fun synth sounds helping to elevate the summery mood of the music. Imagine if the 80s pop “songs of the summer” got remixed by Kraftwerk and you’ll get an idea of the sounds you’ll find Planet Perfect. There’s also a little Devo peppered throughout just to keep you on your toes. It’s true that winter is just around the corner but Energy Slime will help extend the good time summer feelings if you’re willing to dive into this gem.
Saint Idiot - Thin Places
Saint Idiot is the art-pop project from Slovak born, Edmonton based Tomáš Andel. His latest EP is exactly the type of pop music I seek out… pop music that’s not really pop. You tack on the word “art” to the pop genre but truth be told, the music of Saint Idiot is extremely hard to pin down. There’s a certain beauty to these tracks, an ethereal quality and perhaps that’s why calling it art-pop works better than experimental-pop. Genre squabbles aside, this EP is amazing and has completely captivated my attention. “Hypernormal” sounds like a top 40 pop track that was deconstructed and put back together to alienate those who loved the original while “Thin Places” brings to mind classic Sufjan Stevens. Each track is unique and makes Thin Places one of the most interesting EPs released so far this year.
- Jeff MacCallum