Bucket Truck
Favour the Bull
(Maple Music Recordings)
The latest album from these Newfoundland rockers is a triumph. Working with Pelle Henricsson and Eskil Lovstrom, the team behind the Refused album, The Shape of Punk To Come, Bucket Truck has created a relevant, socially aware and intelligent record. While it’s a definite evolutionary shift from their last album, Waiting To Talk, the band still succeeds in keeping their unique sound while layering it with sounds not normally associated with hardcore. The result is a loud, rock-out-worthy sound that’s laced with melodic phrases that grab you and pull you in. A necessary record to add to any hardcore or punk music collection.
5/5
– Maggie Scott
Between The Buried And Me
Alaska
(Victory Records)
Alaska will have you all over the map, which is what BTBAM do best. Up until about track seven, you’ve got some pretty tight metalcore tracks, for fans of Dream Theatre to Dillinger Escape Plan. But the acoustic jam at the end will probably catch your dad’s ear and he’ll want to know why you snooped through his CD collection. Mixed by Matt Ellard (Converge, Fear Before the March of Flames, Bury Your Dead) who pulls off another outstanding job to bring out the best work BTBAM has recorded to date. If you appreciated The Silent Circus, you’ll have much more to praise for when you’re finished with Alaska.
5/5
-Lindsay Henry
The Novaks
The Novaks
(Sonic Records)
The best thing to come out of Newfoundland since Rick Mercer. It would be a crime not to notice The Novaks, simply because their self-titled debut is too good to ignore. Some of their songs are reminiscent of ’70s classic rock while others sound as though they were pulled from the Mississippi Delta. The versatility of this album is definitely an ace up their sleeve. It could be played on CHOM as well as a country station in Nashville, thus, they can, and will, reach out to a wide-ranging audience. We shouldn’t forget The Novaks because odds are we’ll hear a lot about them in the future.
5/5
-Phil Makarow
Ryan Adams And The Cardinals
Jacksonville Nights
(Universal Records)
Howdy y’all! If you folks are out looking for some mighty fine music, here’s an album that’ll satisfy your country music cravings better than granddad’s moonshine Ryan Adams and the Cardinals deliver a CD that’s hotter than any barbecue pit. Adams and his birds perform each song as though they were caressing a southern belle. The real neat thing about this fancy record is that they don’t try to imitate all the other big country stars. Instead they come up with fancy new ideas and make’em work! This here fine record ought to satisfy people like Cletus Rhune from Pig Scratch, Arkansas. Y’all have a real good day now y’hear?
4/5
-Phil Makarow
Boys Night Out
Trainwreck
(Ferret Records)
Boys Night Out’s latest release Trainwreck is a work of art. Though the band might be playing music a lot of people now despise or look down upon, the sextet go beyond what typical screamo bands would ever be capable of doing. The 12 songs the band proposes are melodic, passionate and smart. With the help of renowned producer Machine, Boys Night Out have been able to create an interesting experience for their fans. All the songs are tied together by one very intriguing story.
One aspect, which sets this band apart from other bands in their genre is the addition of a female keyboard player to the line-up. The keyboard and the vocal arrangements help Boys Night Out push the envelope even further. Though criticized at first for this decision, the band now embraces it. The future looks very promising…
4/5
-Melissa Hetu
