The Novaks — Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart

Sonic/Warner

Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

06/05/2009 4:01pm

If you remember the days of '80s and '90s Can-Rock and power pop, The Novaks' Things Fall Apart should sound very familiar.

Singer/guitarist Mick Davis has a voice that sounds like a cross between The Pursuit Of Happiness' Moe Berg and Odds' Craig Northey. At other times, his nasal drawl resembles a Bob Dylan who sings 80 per cent better, or even Tom Petty.

Opener "Why Wonder?" recalls The Killjoys, while "There Goes The Night" is the most Pursuit Of Happiness-esque track on the entire album. Sloan comes to mind on "Rain, Rain, Rain" and "Leave Me Alone," while Petty's influence is obvious on the rootsy, folk-tinged "Under Those Wheels."

This is a straight-up, straight-forward, good ol' fashioned Can-Rock disc. Sure, it sounds a bit like it would have been more at home if it had come out in the mid-'90s, but that's not necessarily a bad thing for those of us who remember when Can-Rock meant quality, not Nickelback.

Get it from