Chinese Food

The main problem with Chinese Food's debut album is the band can't quite seem to figure out whether they're an indie pop or alt.country band. The tunes on When The Future Caught On Fire are definitely well-written, but the album lacks focus and leaves the listener feeling a bit discombobulated. Opener "Red Head Heart" is a bouncy track filled with staccato guitars that'd be at home in any of Toronto's indie rock clubs. But by the time you hit "As Soon As It Appears," a pedal steel has appeared and singer/guitarist Tim Beresford sounds like he could be Ryan Adams' twin. The resemblance is really uncanny at times, and it throws the listener off throughout. This is kind of unfortunate because the album is full of good songs. If it were a little more focused, it could have been one of the year's best debuts.

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