Reviews

Fuzzy Logic

This is the kiss and make up album we never thought we’d hear from The Bicycles. In 2009, the sunny side up pop band caused a stir when it abruptly called a time out and gave no sense of when, if ever, they would be back.

This one cranks up the emo factor by being not only a comeback album but also a reunion of the original five-piece lineup with the return of Randy Lee. As comeback albums go, it’s like they never left, mostly sticking to the give ‘em what they already like formula. What that is, is bright, upbeat, brisk positive pop. As such, it’s the first “summery” album so far.

More grown up and less precocious with the vocals, this is after all the work of a band which called its 2006 album The Good the Bad and the Cuddly, and such as “Bandana Cat”, “Nap Trap,” and “Goldeneye” don’t stray too far from that place.

With four members taking on songwriting and singing roles, there’s a fair amount of variety within The Bicycles self-imposed parameters. The trio of  “Bouncin’ Off the Bay,” “The Sun Don’t Wanna Shine” and  album opener “Appalachian Mountain Station” put interesting tweaks on the feel good endless summer vibe.

In keeeping with their stated aesthetic, The Bicycles roll through 12 songs in just a shade over 30 minutes, leaving big goofy grins in their wake.

Lenny Stoute

Arts & Crafts

In which Ra Ra Riot look to shake off the enduring influence of departed cellist Alexandra Lawn by leaping feet first into the wunnerful world of synthesizers. It’s not an entirely successful adventure but it does have its moments.

Opener “Dance With Me” lays the new deal on the line with its liberal use of synths wherever possible and abrupt time changes. Without much melody to lean on, it’s promptly buried by the one-two album centerpiece of “Binary Mind” and “Beta Love”, the most upbeat songs on the album, with sharp enough guitar runs and virtuoso violin to fight back against the sea of special effects. We’re talking bleeps, buzzes, chirps and squeals sprayed like drive by gunfire at every track. Worst offender “What I Do For U”, which unfortunately references nothing but the lettering from Prince.

The title track is one of their best songs ever, with vocalist Wes Miles daring to walk the falsetto high wire, with just the barest touch of auto-tune, keening out lines that end in ‘beta love’, going a notch up the register with each repetition. A brilliant thing and a hard look at what Ra Ra Riot can become.

Then all of a sudden, the music dies. Gone is danceability, welcome to electro-shoegaze, inna downtempo style. Supposedly there's some robotic theme to the songs, which works better, as lyrical rather than musical inspiration. There’s a godawful lot of dissonant banging and clanging and not at all in a good way. We’re looking hard at “That Much.” but it’s not the sole offender.

Artist-tree Music

This six-song calling card from a 24-year-old voice of raw power and retro inclinations benefits hugely from the involvement of JUNO Award winning producer/multi-instrumentalist Greg Kavanagh. The essential challenge, to bring Andria Simone’s old school r'n'b style to the modern finishing school. That he pulls it off for the most part owes much to his formative years playing r’n’b in Detroit, where he acquired an easy familiarity with the genre.

Given that she co-wrote five of the tracks here, the standpoints are very personal and the arrangements structured to show off the stylistic range. The in-yer-face "Do What I Want" comes from Simone’s full-on feminist way,” Shame" is vintage Southern-fried soul that could have come off a Stax album "Nothing Comes Easy" is a Gospel-tinged, while "Change" is as soul-baring a ballad as you can get.

What with Adele et al stomping all over the r’n’b template it takes some doing for a new soul voice to stand out. The wise guys involved here have seen to that by employing an old school backing band complete with horn section, Hammond B3 organ and female backing vocals to punctuate and colour every nuance and inflection.

Decked with pristine, vocal-showcasing production, this is the sharpest, and sharpest dressed soul belter statement of the season. If you doubt the power, check her YouTube take on Etta James "I Would Rather Go Blind" plus the dancin’ fools be wantin’ to bust their best MJ moves to most all of the album.

Submitted by Sandy Graham

Rick Aulier loves everything Johnny Cash. He loves his songs, his life stories, his legacy. So much so, he is the singer and inspiration behind Covered in Cash, a rockabilly/country/rock/acoustic band that can make you love Cash too.

Rick is an East Coast Canadian, who went Stateside, who came back and settled in Toronto, plays music, bought a restaurant bar with his enthusiastic business partner Scott Brockington, turned it into an Irish pub, An Sibin (pronounced Ahn Shebeen) and loves to perform. ‘I bought a bar so I could earn a living and do music, this is what I love. It is great to get up here with my band and entertain; especially Johnny Cash, whose songs I love to do’, Aulier drawls in a deep voice. 

Covered in Cash has a great line-up of musicians, on lead guitar sending out Allman-esque solos is James Quinn, on bass guitar seasoned Richard Bunnyboils holds the fort with a solid beat and great background oohs and ahhs. On acoustic guitar is Tom Price, almost looking too young to know the tunes, but obviously embraces them with great gusto and has a magnetic stage presence partnered with solid rhythms. Price also has background vocals that blend well with Aulier. On drums, the only ‘Irish’ part of the band is Conor Garrity, who keeps a solid hold on the backbeat of the show.