Royal City — Royal City

Royal City

Outside

Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

06/30/2009 12:56pm

Royal City's new compilation of alternate versions and unreleased songs begins with a track called "Here Comes Success," which is probably the best way Aaron Riches and company could have begun the disc.

The band eventually became not only well-known throughout the Guelph, Ont. Music scene, but throughout Canada as well. Royal City, which also formerly contained or featured collaborations from Jim Guthrie (now of Islands), Feist, Owen Pallett, Gentleman Reg, Bob Wiseman and Nathan Lawr (now of FemBots), among others, released three critically acclaimed albums over their relatively short career. Those were a very successful four years — perhaps not in terms of sales — but nowadays Royal City are celebrated as one of the most important groups in history of Canadian indie rock.

This compilation flows as if it's a fully-realized, complete record that just never hit stores. "Postcards" sounds like it belongs on a Guthrie album, while the screamy bits on "Here Comes Success" betray Riches' punk and hardcore roots. "Bad Luck" and "They Came Down" show Riches' fascinations with country and folk music and how he tried to integrate both styles into Royal City's music. Some of these tracks are probably almost 10 years old, but they don't sound it and come across as if they could fit into the scene no problem today.

More than anything, this disc shows how much Canadian indie rock is indebted to this band.

Get it from