REVIEW: Tonic – Sugar (1999)

TONIC – Sugar (1999 Universal)

Why did Tonic never make it big? Maybe they didn’t have enough of their own identity, maybe it was the 90’s, maybe it was the “one hit wonder” stigma. Whatever it was, I tweaked onto this band in April of ’96 thanks to a positive review in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record (probably by Robert Reid).  I thought their modern rock take on their classic roots was interesting and full of integrity. Indeed, this band didn’t seem to be about following the flavour of the week, but by reaching back to 70’s rock roots in a modern context.

Sugar, the second album, was the one where it all came together. Not one weak track on the whole bloody CD. The slow songs are sweeter, the hard songs are angrier. Something must have happened to Emerson Hart to really tick him off. Girl problems. From “Knock Down Walls”:  “So don’t tell me that I’ve gone crazy, you’re the one who tried to fucking change me…”  Emmerson also begs the question, “Why do you have to be so fucking mean to me?” on the track “Mean To Me”.

Whatever his inspiration, the anger struck a chord with me. Yet the slow songs like “Waltz With Me” were beautiful, gorgeous, full of love.  It’s not a heavy album, but it rocks and has a level of quality that was often absent in the mainstream rock music of the late 90’s.  Sugar is loaded with layers of electric, slide and acoustic guitars, great drumming, great singing, and relatable lyrics. The songs themselves are packed with variety and quality. Really, this should have been a huge album in 1999, and the biggest hit of Tonic’s career, but they were never trendy. Shame. They deserved more than the one hit.

Highlights:
The whole album, but I especially love “Drag Me Down”, “Mean To Me”, “Knock Down Walls”, “Sugar”, “Future Says Run”, “Waiting For The Light To Change”.

4.5/5 stars

22 comments

  2. I had this one and Lemon Parade and fully agree. Shoulda been bigger. Ah well, at least they gave us as much as they did. There was indeed a third album, Head On Straight, but I looked it up and don’t recognize the cover or any of the songs at all, so I guess I never got that one.

    Thanks for bringing these guys up. Hadn’t thought of them in a while!

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    1. I have Head On Straight (produced by Bob Rock, I think) but I have only played it once or twice, tops. It was just too soft.

      I know they have a reunion album out as well that got good reviews.

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      2. Wow, it’s like a whole other world of which I knew nothing! I love this sort of thing. Like finding out, through these blogs, that the Dudes from the Refreshments had/have a whole other band.

        You know who else I associate (in my mind) with Tonic? Semisonic and Fuel. Oh man.

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        2. I’ll tell you tomorrow when I’m sitting in the still smouldering ruins of my home and contemplating my future life as a one-armed dude.

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  4. Just looking at the tracklist, I recognize you wanted more – and ’99 wasn’t a particularly strong year, so all the more disappointing a 4.5 star record didn'[t make it bigger!

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        3. “I recall hearing people talk about seeing the 1991 video for Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit for the first time and immediately realizing that music was about to change.”

          You said it man. I wish you were wrong, but you were right.

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