Reviews: Sam Roberts, Islands, Windsor For The Derby and more
Tuesday May 20, 2008 @ 03:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

BEFORE THE FLOOD Bars Wire And Wood (Quarry)
Before The Flood's first LP kicks off with a pair of tight, toe-tapping rock songs that caught my attention right away. Both the title track and "The Halls" are shiny and well-produced with slight folk/roots influences, not unlike Wilco or The Shins. Thus, I was fully invested when the first whiny acoustic jam, "Why (When I Already Know)" came along to squander my goodwill. As Steve Davis's vocals went from husky to cranky, Before The Flood started to sound like the Goo Goo Dolls' angsty younger brothers. In four minutes I went from cautiously enthusiastic to slightly nauseous. Sadly, that third-track groaner set the tone for the rest of the alum. Bars Wire And Wood delivered song after song of limp-dicked pop-rock like you'd expect to hear from a musical guest on Oprah. I wouldn't recommend buying this album, but the first two tracks are definitely worth downloading. Evan Dickson

CANTEEN KNOCKOUT Navajo Steel (Weewerk)
They're the house band at your favourite western watering hole and they're not afraid to name a song "Balls Out Trucking." That curse-filled track, in fact, aptly sums up the breadth of subject matter on the Toronto four-piece's debut full-length: driving, speeding, drinking, smoking and one-night stands. It's not the sort of stuff you'd want your kids to hear, but let's hope you're not bringing your children with you to the local tavern. Navajo Steel is part rock, part country and a whole lot of twang. It's a little like The Buttless Chaps, but a lot more like the latest release from Luke Doucet And The White Falcon. The term "alt.country" has had a good run, but like any buzz word, it'll soon be a source of exasperation. Canteen Knockout are thankfully running on a tangent from that genre, delivering a modern take on gritty, down-home debauchery. Scott Bryson

THE DRESDEN DOLLS No, Virginia… (Roadrunner/Universal)
The Dresden Dolls' new rarities compilation features tracks recorded from 2003 to the present. It's meant to be a companion piece to 2006's sophomore release, Yes, Virginia... It lives up to its negative moniker and proves that some songs are unreleased for a reason. "Night Reconnaissance" features some slightly interesting, playful piano work, but like the rest of the disc's tracks, it drowns in Amanda Palmer's flat, expressionless, annoying voice. The Dolls' cover of The Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty In Pink," which originally appeared on the High School Reunion '80s films tribute album, is the record's lone highlight, by adding a bit more interesting instrumentation into the mix. But in the end, even it falls short. Most of the songs sound the same to the point of collapsing into monotonous sameness. No, Virginia... indeed. No manner of theatricality can save this stinker, whether it be stilt-walking, fire-eating or even lion-wrestling. Kate Harper

GARFIELDS BIRTHDAY Let Them Eat Cake (Pink Hedgehog)
This band from England's Dorset coast first formed in 1995, but Let Them Eat Cake is their first full album, and nine of its 10 songs come from three previous EPs. They call their music "indie pop for lost romantic souls," and that's a pretty apt description. So is the title of this disc's brilliant ninth track, "Sugar Pop," except the album isn't sickly sweet and won't rot your teeth. But pick your favourite type of guitar-based pop and you'll likely find it here: psychedelic on "Molly's Eyes," power on "Punch & Judy Man," Brit on "Take A Ride," jangle on "We Know Your Name," acoustic on "You Should Know Better By Now," and classic on "The Bastion Of Teenage." It's all over within a half-hour and, like a tasty piece of cake, makes you want a second helping. While I'd never heard of Garfields Birthday until now, they've become my favourite discovery of the year. Steve McLean

FAMOUS FRAMUS BAND Down By Desire (Three Chord)
Songwriter Famous Framus (a.k.a. Michael MaGarrey) and his band know one of the most important tricks to making enjoyable music: The fewer words a song has, the easier it'll be for people to sing along with it. Adhering to that maxim, a number of Down By Desire's tracks have no more than a handful of lyrical lines, yet never succumb to unintelligence. Album standout, "Easy," boils down to a repetitious "She let me down easy/She looked in my eyes and let me down easy/She let me down easy and I fell hard." This type of music treads a fine line between success and monotony, but there's no sign that the Famous Framus Band plan on falling to the tedious side. Sometimes blues, sometimes rock or country, Down By Desire fits comfortably between Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Howl and the United Steel Workers Of Montreal's Kerosene & Coal. Scott Bryson

ISLANDS Arm's Way (Anti-/FAB)
Now this is more like it. Arm's Way is a beacon of light for those who hoped Return To The Sea would be the logical, exciting follow-up to The Unicorns' Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? and went home disappointed. Islands debut featured a few memorable cuts, but it was basically half-record, half-meandering filler. Arm's Way is so jam-packed — both in quality and length — it could stand as two separate, excellent albums. The big difference is that this LP actually features Islands as the tight touring unit they've evolved into, as opposed to just Nick Thorburn and now-former drummer Jamie Thompson, who recorded most of Return To The Sea on their own. With a full arsenal of music school standouts backing him, Thorburn tests the outer limits of his songwriting ability. To call this collection epic would be an understatement. From the opening guitar burst of the title track to the 11-minute closer "Vertigo (If It's A Crime)," Islands push the songs in just about every direction possible. I can't even do justice to how good "Creeper" and "I Feel Evil Creeping In" are, so I'll just say that Islands have finally arrived the way they were always supposed to. Noah Love

JEFF MARTIN & THE TORONTO TABLA ENSEMBLE Live At The Enmore Theatre (Shock/KOCH)
Jeff Martin, Canadian rock's paragon of pretension, fulfills another part of his solo contract by donning a black velvet blazer (of course) and filming a DVD performance in Australia. It makes sense, given The Tea Party's biggest fanbase was always (inexplicably) Down Under. This probably also explains why more than half of Martin's set was made up of old Tea Party songs. Another natural, though slightly gimmicky move was to have Martin backed by the awesome Toronto Tabla Ensemble, who do more than a capable job pounding through "Sister Awake" and "The Bazaar." Given that the past chemistry between the three Tea members was always questionable, this solo venture makes it was clear who the star of the show was — the Captain Morgan lookalike bellowing at the microphone. Watching this DVD is kind of like watching any old Tea Party show if Burrows and Chatwood had called in sick for the night. It's good for the fans who haven't yet abandoned Martin for his ambitions of solo grandeur. It's the same old, same old for anyone who never liked him in the first place. Caitlin Hotchkiss

SCARLETT JOHANSSON Anywhere I Lay My Head (Rhino/Warner)
Johansson's musical debut is worth a listen for a few reasons. For one, this is an album of Tom Waits songs, so it's interesting to hear her and TV On The Radio guitarist David Sitek's takes on the iconic grumbler-singer-songwriter's often-brilliant songs. Anywhere I Lay My Head is a pretty dark record dripping in reverb. Slow, lush, fuzzy and flowing, covers of "I Don't Want To Grow Up" and "Fannin' Street" have a distinct '80s new wave feel, while the rest of the album is mostly made up of layered synths, echoing beats and muddled instrumentals. The second reason to listen is to hear the bodacious actress' voice. It's an unexpected Debbie Harry-meets-Sinead O'Connor holler and not the lower register, sexed-up smoky voice most people would imagine. Thirdly, David Bowie humbly sings back-up on a few tracks, adding to the record's "what the fuck?" feel. Thatsaid, AILMH was meant to be a WTF kind of record. Johansson? Sitek? Bowie? Like any good actress' leap into singing this album is totally listenable and totally dismissible all at once. Phil Vileneuve

MATES OF STATE Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk/Outside)
I've never really understood what's so great about Mates Of State. Sure, I fell in love with "Goods (All In Your Head)" from their All Day EP and decided to give their full-length albums a shot, but I never found that same energy or instant catchiness. With their fifth album, Re-Arrange Us, I finally get it. The indie pop husband-and-wife duo of vocalist/drummer Jason Hammel and vocalist/keyboardist Kori Gardner have honed their songwriting skills to produce instantly loveable pop ditties. "Jigsaw" and the single "Get Better" display a newfound maturity, while "My Only Offer" still exhibits their signature sound. Their vocals are impeccably matched and the album features interesting melodies and harmonies throughout. Maybe it's the influence of its producers, including Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla, Spoon's Jim Eno and Peter Katis (Interpol, The National), but Re-Arrange Us is softer around the edges than their previous releases. The result is an album that will be appreciated by old and new fans alike. Jen White

MUDHONEY The Lucky Ones (Sub Pop/Outside)
Grunge originators Mudhoney keep plowing forward with The Lucky Ones, a new flighty full-length on Sub Pop. Much has change since the band's late century heyday and with this in mind, The Lucky Ones features a slightly more refined Mudhoney, at least in terms of production values, if nothing else. That being said, Mark Arm's Iggy fixation is still firmly entrenched, as "I'm Now," "Next Time" and "Tales Of Terror" have Arm spewing forth like a rock 'n' roll geyser over muddled power chords and shouty choruses. And the great part is that The Lucky Ones is far, far less stinky that the Stooges' The Weirdness in every respect possible. In short, Mudhoney will not be entering their third decade quietly. Cameron Gordon

SAM ROBERTS BAND Love At The End Of The World (Universal)
Sam Roberts was hailed as the next logical Can-rock beer-hoisting king after his first album, We Were Born In A Flame came out. His second release, Chemical City, presented a particular dichotomy. He grew a bushy beard and created a record full of uncompromising, fuzzed-out space rock. It should have earned him cred points with the snooty indie kids, but at that point they were already swept up in Arcade Fire fever. And so with his third album Roberts has shaved the beard and with it, what appears to be any desire to court those mercurial scenesters. Indeed, first single "Them Kids," with its pointed line "The kids don't know how to dance to rock 'n' roll," serves notice that Roberts and his band have moved on. The focus here is on songs, not sonics, and while "Fixed To Ruin" may be a B.R.M.C.-style rock-out, slower soul-searchers like the sweetly familiar "Oh Maria," "Sundance," "The Pilgrim" and "Words + Fire" are far more the norm. It's all less political, virulent and cosmic, which'll probably serve Roberts well. One can't help but feel a little sad that the fuzz pedals have been put in the closet, though. Aaron Brophy

WINDSOR FOR THE DERBY How We Lost (Secretly Canadian/Sonic Unyon)
Windsor For The Derby have been around for 12 years and nine albums, but they sound irrepressibly young and modern. For those that have shied away from their past records because of "post rock" labeling, this is definitely the time you should jump in. How We Lost starts off in much the same way that Young Galaxy's self-titled debut did — a hypnotizing slow burner followed by an unapologetic rock anthem — and it's an irresistible formula. These boys aren't afraid to experiment either; the album's third track is a continuous loop of reverb that clocks in at more than two minutes, but works well as a cooling-off period. There's an undeniable Jesus And Mary Chain influence on this disc, and its presence is a little surprising, because WFTD admittedly overproduced in search of perfection. How We Lost does fall a little short of perfect, but it's a definite statement that this band are heading in an enjoyable new direction. Scott Bryson

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