Canadian rock

KICK AXE! Grant’s Rock Warehaus tackles one of the best Canadian bands with whom you’re not familiar enough! All albums ranked!

This weekend on Grant’s Rock Warehaus, we tackled a band that needs and deserves more attention:  Canada’s Kick Axe!

“Nobody’s talking about Kick Axe!” said Grant.  We aim to change that with this show.  Please give it a watch!  What are your favourite Kick Axe songs?

This show almost didn’t happen.  I wanted an expert on Kick Axe, so I asked Derek Williamson of Thunder Bay Ontario, who saw Kick Axe live back in the day and also interviewed the guitarist Larry Gillstrom.  He stonewalled me three times, so we decided to do it without him.

Show notes are below, if you want the Cole’s Notes version, but you’ll have to watch the video to get our album rankings.

Formed 1976, Regina Saskatchewan as “Hobbit”.

Original lineup:

  • Victor Langen, bass, vocals
  • Gary Langen, drums
  • Larry Gilstrom, guitar

Ray Harvey added on guitar.

Moved to Vancouver BC, Gary Langen leaves band replaced by Brian Gillstrom, Charles McNary hired as vocalist.

1981 – Playboy Street Rock – live track called “Reality is the Nightmare”.

1981 – Weekend Ride / One More Time (Harvey on vocals).

Produced by Bill Henderson and Brian Too Loud McLeod of Chilliwack.

Wrote “Heavy Metal Shuffle” which opened Vices later on.  Attempted to record an album but never released it.

McNary replaced by George Criston, who brought in power, range and soul as well as a unique sound.

1984 – Signed to CBS in Canada, approached Spencer Proffer to produce because they wanted the same sound as Metal Health by Quiet Riot.  Proffer liked the band personally and thought highly of their musicianship.  Album Vices released on Pasha in the US.

Recorded existing material (2 songs re-written with Proffer) in Hollywood at S.I.R.  30 Days in the Hole – a cover, like Cum On Feel the Noize, but not intended to be a hit, just a showcase for their talents.  Released on the soundtrack to Up the Creek.

Ran into Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler – supposedly approached Criston to replace Ian Gillan in Black Sabbath.  Proffer was working with both bands.

Vices is their best album.  Proffer intended it to be a concept album about vices.  Not a bad song.  Bangin’ backing vocals.  Music video for On the Road to Rock made major impact in Canada, with the comedic video attracting attention.  The Vices mascot was one of my first “rock buttons”.

Vices did not perform to expectations, but Kick Axe wrote three songs for the next Black Sabbath album:  “Wild in the Streets”, “Hunger”, and “Piece of the Rock”, later recorded by W.A.S.P. and King Kobra.  Kick Axe did not want to lose Criston to Sabbath.  “Piece of the Rock” is one of the rarest Kick Axe tracks, only released on a 2005 issue of Rock the World.

1985 – Second album – Pasha wants band more streamlined for radio.  Brought in Pasha staffer Randy Bishop to help on lyrics.  Co-wrote 5 songs and co-produced Welcome to the Club.  Some of the heaviness is blunted, in favour of better song structure and melodies.  Recorded at Metalworks in Toronto.  Cover art by Hugh Syme, which the band never understood the meaning of.

Band brought in cover of Joe Cocker’s version of “With A Little Help From My Friends”.  Rik Emmett, Lee Aaron, Andy Curran, Alfie Zappacosta and more on backing vocals.  Very cool music video made of the recording session.

Pretty solid album, though not as banging throughout as the original.  The cover tune is completely different, but really excellent.

The band and Proffer blame lack of sales on parent label Epic.  No support.  Toured with Autograph, Krokus, Night Ranger, Helix and Triumph.

1986 – Ray Harvey returns home to deal with family matters.  Joins Rock & Hyde as touring guitarist (Bob Rock & Paul Hyde).

The Transformers soundtrack released.  Hunger, and Nothing’s Gonna Stand In Our Way released as Spectre General.  All done by Proffer, without knowledge of the band.  Due to pseudonym used, no benefit to band happened.

Still signed to CBS in Canada.  Next album picked up by Roadrunner in US.

Rock the World (initially “Fuck the World”) recorded as four piece.  Self-produced primarily by Larry due to lack of funds provided by CBS.  Recorded at Right Trak in Vancouver.  Also forced to mix the album themselves.  The cover tune this time is The Chain by Fleetwood Mac.

Band breaks up – sherrifs seize equipment due to unpaid debts.  Later immortalized in the song Rocking Daze on Kick Axe IV.

2002 – Kick Axe reunite with Gary Langen returning, this time on lead vocals.  George Criston remains active in country and more soulful music.  Has expressed no interest in returning to rock.  Has not participated with reissues.  Has worked as a guitar tech for Sarah McLachlan, Dido, Avril Lavigne, and k.d. lang.

2004 – Kick Axe IV self produced.  Best song Rockin Daze written by Brian Gillstrom.  Decent album but not memorable long-term except for Rockin Daze.  Gary Langen has a style of voice reminiscent of Phil Naro.

2008 – Gary Langen leaves band, replaced by Daniel Nargang.

2023 – Run to the Thunder, first new song in decades, to be followed by new album.

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS: Arkells announce new covers album Disco Loadout Volume 1 – pre-order now for May 17 release

The Arkells are not slowing down!  With last year’s surprise release of the unplanned acoustic album Laundry Pile, not to mention the two Blink albums, the band are back in 2024 with their first full covers album!  Of note, this album includes Abba’s “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)”, previously only available on an iTunes EP.  This is its first physical release.

Signed “ultra clear” vinyl with blue and purple splatter available, as well as unsigned vinyl and CDs.

Tracklist
01)  Dancing On My Own
02)  I Want You Back
03)  You Make My Dreams
04)  As It Was
05)  Sledgehammer
06)  Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
07)  9 to 5
08)  I Wanna Dance With Somebody
09)  Dancing in the Dark
10)  The Power Of Love
11)  Dancing Queen

WHY DISCO LOADOUT?

A disco loadout is a term in our industry that describes a very humbling act. Many bands have experienced this, and we certainly have. Sometimes when you’re on tour you might pull up to a venue to find there is a later show happening the same night. The promoter, looking at his spreadsheet, has decided that it makes financial sense to book two separate shows on the same night. Your band is playing the early show, and when you are finished, you must load your gear down the stairs and out the door while a lineup of people waits to get into the venue for the next show. The later show is usually a cover band, performing songs that everyone knows and likes.

We have been humbled by this in the past and instead of living with the embarrassment, we have performed and recorded those songs for you. We’re taking the term back.

Disco Loadout Vol 1. Songs Arkells like to play when we need to party like it’s a late show.

REVIEW: Glass Tiger – Diamond Sun (1988)

GLASS TIGER – Diamond Sun (1988 Capitol Records)

Produced by mainstay Jim Vallance and recorded at Le Studio with Paul Northfield, Glass Tiger’s Diamond Sun is generally considered the best of their studio albums. What you may not know is that the Canadian pop band’s second album also really rocks.  Diamond Sun was their last album featuring the co-writing skills of drummer Michael Hanson, and his absence would be felt in the future.  For 1988, Glass Tiger were running on a high, and hit after hit.

The band had the courage to open the album with a soft one, the title track.  This was the second of five singles, and a powerful ballad it is.  The keyboard chimes work in tandem with drums, samples and singer Alan Frew’s impassioned vocals.  The lyrics circle around the still-topical subject of colonialism.  “When they came to this land, we gave our friendship, gave them our hands.”  The music has the appropriate feel, but listen carefully and enjoy the lyrical bass work of Wayne Parker, who has often gone unnoticed in this band.  Check that false ending!

“Far Away From Here”, the second song, is single worthy in itself but remains a nice deeper cut.  This time the guitar work of Al Connelly rises at the start, setting up an awesome mid-tempo rocker.  The chorus is among one of Glass Tiger’s best, accented by catchy acoustic guitar bits hanging lower in the mix.  Connelly’s riff is very much akin to 80s Rush, but encased within a simpler, more direct kind of song.  Alan Frew’s voice has a smooth, deep kind of power.

Personal favourite “I’m Still Searching” is a fast electro-acoustic rocker.  This song lit our VCR on fire back in 1988 when it was released as the first single/video.  Nobody expected such an upbeat rocker from the Newmarket quintet!  It’s an immediate singalong with a campfire quality, despite the electric shimmer of guitar, and organ by Sam Reid.  Once again Al Connelly has come up with some cool, catchy guitar parts.

“A Lifetime of Moments” is a lesser known ballad, well-rounded with keyboards and guitars as the main features.  The lyrics are about a lost love and rebounding, and Frew sells it.  This song is unique because of the sax solo, something simply not utilised enough in ballads or rockers!

The best of the deep cuts is the awesome side one closer, “It’s Love U Feel”, which is right out of the 80s Rush playbook.  From the echoing guitar jingle to the bouncing basswork, this song easily could have been a hit for Rush on Power Windows.  A duet with Lisa Dalbello on the chorus, this song kicks hard.  How this isn’t one of the Tiger’s biggest hits is unknown.  Perhaps it was just too advanced for an 80s pop video audience.  This sounds more like the kind of thing that would have been big on rock radio.  It is one of Glass Tiger’s greatest songs, featuring some stinging, smoking guitar work.  It could be Keith Scott from Bryan Adams’ band, as he is credited with additional guitar on the album, along with Michael Hanson.

Side two opens with two more singles.  “My Song” was a big hit with a Celtic feel, performed with the legendary Chieftains themselves.  They were recorded separately in Ireland, with Sam Neil producing their session.  Tin whistle dominates, with bodhrán, fiddles and other instruments lower in the mix.  For anyone with a taste for Celtic pop rock (think Marillion “80 Days”), this will hit the spot.  A huge hit in Canada because of its unforgettable, timeless chorus.  They tried to repeat this trick with Rod Stewart on the next album, with less success.

The most powerful song on the album is, paradoxically, the softest.  The piano ballad “(Watching) Worlds Crumble” absolutely explodes on the chorus, while the verses feature Alan Frew singing in a soft falsetto.  The music video, recorded live on stage, was the first not to feature Michael Hanson.  He left the band mid-tour to be replaced by Randall Coryell from Tom Cochrane’s band.  It was one of those sad instances of the new guy never becoming “official”.  Glass Tiger remained, on paper at least, a four-piece after the departure of Hanson.  “(Watching) Worlds Crumble” is one of the few without his writing.  It was written by Frew, Reid and Vallance, and features another really nicely written Connelly guitar solo.  The drums are absolutely epic too.

Back to a rocker, “Send Your Love” has an upbeat stuttery guitar part and a slamming chorus.  Another winning deep cut.  The warm ballad “Suffer in Silence” and another sax solo take us out to the closer, “This Island Earth”.   Diamond Sun ends in epic fashion, with this slow burning number and a social message.  Again, Rush comes to mind, with a slight progressive sound and keyboards.  In the end it’s Alan Frew who sells it.

Diamond Sun sold 200,000 copies in Canada, an astronomical amount for this country.  It is an album with broad appeal, spanning a variety of styles but all somehow sounding like Glass Tiger.  It’s a cohesive album with no weak tracks, and only highlights to be found.

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Brighton Rock – “Can’t Wait For the Night” (Remix) (1986 single)

BRIGHTON ROCK – “Can’t Wait for the Night” (Remix) / “We Came To Rock” (1986 WEA single)

Niagara Falls’ Brighton Rock had a knack for rockers and ballads in equal measure.  Though “ballad” was often whispered as if it were a dirty word, Brighton Rock released a couple as singles over their career.  “Can’t Wait For the Night” was the first.  With a soft keyboard backing, the guitar melody by Greg Fraser sketches out the hook of the song.  Gerry McGhee shows a tender side to his voice, while unleashing the scream on the chorus.  His voice takes on a third texture as the chorus goes out, a grittier version.

On the 7″ vinyl format, the song was given a remix and an edit.  It was taken down from 4:25 to 3:56, and labelled as the “single mix with guitar solo”.  Presumably all that means is that the guitar solo wasn’t chopped for the edit, since the album version seems to have the same solo.  The edited music is mostly outro, and it’s hard to discern exactly what the remix adds.  Keyboards and guitars seem to be the same.  Vocal is the same.  But here it is; the “single remix with guitar solo”!

On the B-side is the rocker “We Came to Rock”, which to me was always the “first single” because of the great music video they used to play on Much.  This dramatic little number mesmerized us as kid.  It began soft and ballady, with keyboards and the sound of violins seemingly being plucked on the verses.  Then, Gerry McGhee released the beast that was his scream on the captivating chorus.  McGhee’s voice had tremendous diversity within single songs, and this is a prime example.  Finally you get to Greg Fraser’s solo, which as always was a composition unto itself.  This is the standard album version.  Simply awesome as-is!  It is one of those rare songs that is a treat to play on repeat.

This awesome little picture sleeve single isn’t hard to find nor expensive to buy.  Highly recommended.

4.5/5 stars

Tomorrow on a Grab A Stack Special Edition, new co-host Len Labelle and I go through our entire Brighton Rock collections. Don’t miss this!

MOVIE REVIEW: Mystique – Standing On the Firing Line (2022)

Note:  This review is of the new 96 minute cut of Mystique – Standing On the Firing Line. 

A collaboration with Jex!  For Jex Russell’s review, click here!

MYSTIQUE: STANDING ON THE FIRING LINE (2022, 2023 edition)

Directed by Marco D’Auria

“EPIC METAL” – Martin Popoff

They had the raw talent to make it.  They just needed a break.  They didn’t get it, but what they achieved instead was a legendary status with a handful of priceless releases left behind.  They were Mystique, a progressive heavy metal band from Hamilton Ontario.

Standing On the Firing Line is a 2022 documentary film by Marco D’Auria, finally shedding light on the history and music of this lesser-known band.  They always deserved more attention, and hopefully the film brings them that.  From the first shots of the band, the music of “No Return” assaults the senses with chopping riffs and unholy screams.  Why didn’t they make it?

The main driving force of Mystique from their beginnings to their demise were opera-trained singer Ray D’Auria (originally from Naples Italy), and perfectionist drummer John Davies, who had spent time in a few hard rock bands before Mystique.  Many other talented members joined and enhanced them along the way, but it was Ray and John who were there ’til the end.  The two met up when John auditioned for Ray’s band, Orion.  A friendship was formed, but the band wasn’t paying them the money they were owed.  They split as a pair and didn’t waste time starting their own thing.  15 year old Dave Dragos was a shredder – rated 2nd best in Canada at the time – and was first on board.  He introduced them to bassist Mark Arbour (a mixture of Geddy Lee and Chris Squire), and a solid band was formed.  A 1984 basement tape of “Black Rider” shows the nameless band had the goods.  It was Ray who blurted out “Mystique”, which felt right.

They found a rehearsal space, and added keyboardist Victor Barreiro.  The band practiced hard, and pushed each other to improve as musicians.  Davies tended to handle the business side, but they were attracting attention to themselves.  They found a manager (Ted Smirnios), money was borrowed, and songs were improved upon, until they were finally in shape to record.  Primitive but technically inventive tracks were recorded on 1/2″ tape, on a 16-track desk.  Not the best for sound quality, but good enough to get the songs down.  They went as far as to butcher a classic Leslie speaker to get a driving keyboard sound.

A stoned viewing of the animated Lord of the Rings movie captured John Davies, and inspired the song “Black Rider”.  The band had a sort of gothic bent in the mid-80s, but Ray D’Auria’s voice was appropriate for this progressive style of metal.  Journalist Martin Popoff remarks that the keyboards brought them into that progressive world.  Melodic guitar/keyboard solos took time to work out.  They were unafraid to play ballads, which Martin compares to a vintage Judas Priest dirge.  Mystique were a serious band!  The Black Rider EP impressed their peers for the playing if not the sound.  Popoff heard a strong Maiden influence, but compares more to Armored Saint and Odin with elements of power metal.  1000 copies were sold, an impressive amount.  Their manager got it as far away as Greece, and even accidentally set himself on fire as part of their stage show!

The band were doing well but dreams were not exceeded, and eventually members left for greener pastures, leaving Ray and John to rebuild.  Bizarrely, they met a talented French guitarist named Eric Nicolas in Jackson Square, and went to France to record their next demo:  1987’s I Am the King.  They struggled with the language barrier, and were recording digitally for the first time.  Ray blew everyone away with the “God note” that he held in “I Am the King”.  They were offered a record contract with Elektra in France, which didn’t pan out.  They brought the tapes home to Canada for release.

They added a new bassist, Les Wheeler, and evolved from metal to “hair”.  “The explosion in the costume factory look,” as described by Popoff, of their new extreme look that didn’t match their music.  “It looked good, from a distance,” jokes Ray.  Teenage girls loved their posters though!  Unfortunately having a guitar playing living in France was a barrier.  Wheeler broke his wrist in an accident.  A new lineup formed.  They felt forced to go more commercial, which resulted in the 1988 Poison-esque single “Rock and Roll Party Tonight”.  It was vastly different from “Black Rider”, but they went straight from that to recording a proper album, funded by EMI.  They taped 11 to 12 songs…but the album was never released and is partly lost today.  The masters tapes were sold and erased.  There were some good songs on that tape.  Ray, however, looks back at their change of direction as a mistake.  More shuffles in band members caused long breaks in activity, and the writing was on the wall.  Ray no longer identified with the music, and was the one to leave.  By 1989, their music was out of date anyway.

Manager Ted Smirnios is given a tremendous amount of credit for making Mystique happen.  It’s a touching part of the film.  The band members went their separate and sometimes surprising ways, but the story never really ends so long as people keep discovering the music.  Their releases are now valuable collectables today, worth a small fortune on the second-hand market.

Rare live clips and candid photos really bring an intimate look at Mystique.  You feel like you get to know the personalities.  This new edit of the film cut a substantial amount of footage, mostly interview footage with people who were there at the time.  The movie gains better pacing from this, as it just flies by in no time.  A new ending to the film brings us to the present day, and the movie’s theatrical premiere in front of a cheering audience.  The original cut might be considered for more hard-core viewers who want that “feels like being there” experience, but the current 96 minute edit is better for the enjoyment of Mystique.  It’s a much tighter and more direct story.  There is still plenty of unreleased music and vintage images.

Stay tuned for the mid-credit scene!

4.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Arkells – Apple Music Home Session (2022 EP)

ARKELLS – Apple Music Home Session (2022 iTunes EP)

The Arkells have a number of download-only live EPs on iTunes.  The most recent one is 2022’s Apple Music Home Session which boasts three tunes:  Two from their Blink Twice album, and one exclusive cover.  And damn, you won’t believe what they covered!

The EP opens with a laid back, horn-laden “Reckoning” from Blink Twice.  The horns on this song are the real candy.  Rolling low and punching high, Arkells usage of horns is very effective.  And the chorus kick!  “Blink twice! There’s gonna be a reckoning!” croons Max Kerman on this irresistible hit.  Drummer Tim Oxford thunders out a smooth groove punctuated by his unusual kick drum pattern.  This is how pop rock should be – musically inventive with impressive playing.  This is how the Arkells do it.

Track two is “Past Life” performed just by the Arkells, and not with the Cold War Kids as on the Blink Twice album.  It’s a little tougher in this guise, with a lot more texture, dynamics and unexpected instrumentation.  Mike DeAngelis’ guitar break is tasty as hell and Max Kerman handles all the lead vocals himself.  This could end up being your preferred version of the song.

The big surprise is the cover:  “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)” by ABBA!  Max doesn’t swap genders for the lyrics, just as it should be!   The horn section delivers a good chunk of the melodies, but Anthony Carone perfectly duplicates the main keyboard hook.  Meanwhile, bassist Nick Dika lays down the funk in a flawless groove.  Dika gets a cool groovin’ spotlight moment just before the understated sax solo.  That leaves Kerman to deliver the indelible chorus, which he unflinchingly succeeds at.  Let’s face it, ABBA were extraordinary songwriters and “Gimme Gimme Gimme” is one of their all-time best.  The Arkells version is an undisputed triumph.

5/5 stars

  1. Reckoning (4:22)
  2. Past Life (3:55)
  3. Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) (4:06)
    Arkells, the Beaches & July Talk

ARKELLS

  1. Jackson Square (2008)
  2. Michigan Left (2011)
  3. High Noon (2014)
  4. Morning Report (2017)
  5. Rally Cry (2018)
  6. Campfire Chords (2020)
  7. Blink Once (2021)
  8. Blink Twice (2022)
  9. Laundry Pile (2023)

…and more to come

REVIEW: Arkells – Blink Twice (2022)

ARKELLS – Blink Twice (2022 Universal)

Blink Once was a surprising pleasure.  Given how far the Arkells have sailed through the seas of rock, pop and blues, they seemed to be content circling ’round various genres of pop now.  Experimenting with hip-hop vibes, soulful backing vocals, dance beats and loops, the Arkells still managed to keep catchy guitar hooks as part of the mix thanks to Mike DeAngelis.  The bass thump of Nick Dika is still there, while Tim Oxford refuses to play anything simple on the drums.  Max Kerman’s lyrics still bite, but Anthony Carone’s keyboards now make up a large share of the hooks.  It’s still rock, but definitely far removed from their first track on their first album.  Blink Twice is largely composed of short songs, none reaching four minutes, and over half featuring guest performers from the world of pop.

Blink Twice opens seamlessly, exactly where Blink Once left off:  “Last Night I Heard ‘Em Sing” closed the former, a brief snippet of the latter’s opener “Reckoning”.

“Blink twice!” announces Max.  “There’s gonna be a reckoning!”

Strings, horns and thick backing vocals adorn this soulful rock song.  An instant classic.  Though far more vague than past political songs, it’s clear that Max is taking shots at the upper crust.  “It’s a drop drop in the bucket for you, becomes a knock knock on your ocean view.”

Though Max warns of a reckoning, track two brings this back home to more personal topics.  “Past Life” is a duet with Nathan Willett of California’s Cold War Kids, a band I’ve never heard of before.  The two work well together with distinctly different voices and styles, singing the same melody.  Mike DeAngelis provides a nice thick guitar hook that the song orbits, but this is upper echelon pop rock. One lyric that sticks out is when Nathan sings “Feel like Bob Dylan’s son, always in the shadows.”  Elsewhere,  Max proclaims “I’m a little Wallflower, singing ‘One Headlight’.”  Jakob Dylan did deserve stardom, but the line “I’ve gotta find my own way to write a song,” seems misplaced.  The Arkells sound like they’ve mastered that already.

“Take Back Everything” has an older-school Arkells sound.  This brings us back to the Morning Report days, perhaps the band’s finest hour.  It’s important to listen to all the instruments and hear what each member of the band brings to the table.  From day one, the bass has provided interesting textures and it’s still doing that here, while Mike DeAngelis explores his fretboard for new melodic compliments.

Hip-hop rears its head a lil’, on “Human Being”, a duet with Canadian electronica star Lights.  Her vocals are sublime, but the chorus of “I’m just a fuckin’ human being,” doesn’t quite hit the spot.  The song has its moments, including a catchy keyboard melody by Anthony Carone.  It’s a shorty, over in just 2:34.  We know the Arkells love Drake and that whole genre, but if I am going to have rap in my musical diet, “Human Being” isn’t so bad.

For duets, the high point of this album is the ballad “Teenage Tears” featuring Tegan and Sara.  Not a duo I have heard before, but of course every Canadian knows who Tegan and Sara are.  The twins sing as one here on a delicate ballad that boils tension and exhaustion together into a nourishing audio broth.  Too much metaphor?  Well you describe it, then. All I can tell you is that “Teenage Tears” is a classic; it hits you fast and doesn’t let go. You feel its familiar warmth immediately.  It’s a “greatest hit” if you ever wanna compile one.  The haunting music video is filmed in an empty mall, which certainly reminds of the pandemic days.

“Miracle” marks the midpoint of the album and the last song on side one.  It blends the bluesy bent of their early albums with modern production.  There’s guitar crunch but also the loopy melodic plinky bits that are popular in music today.  Pretty good song, but it ends abruptly, and is surrounded by superior material.

“Nowhere to Go” crashes the party, opening side two with an upbeat pop rocker like the Arkells are prone to do.  Wesley Schultz is the singer from the Lumineers dueting with Max, and their voices just add a little texture and variety to a song that otherwise might have got lost in the shuffle of similar bangers.  However, the sax solo by Jake Clemons is a jumper!  Nephew of Clarence, and member of the E-Street Band today, you know what you are in for.  Just hit the “back” button a little bit and play that sax solo one more time!  It has the exact same energy as classic Springsteen.

The biggest left turn is “Dance With You”, a pure disco song with lots of guests.  American pop duo Aly and AJ provide the backing vocals.  Surprisingly, the song is bilingual:  half in French!  Max sings in both English and French, while Québecois crooner Cœur de Pirate (Béatrice Martin) provides a breathy French counterpart.  Her vocals stand out for being so different.  By all means, give it a listen.  The Arkells have never been afraid of taking a step too far, and for some this may be it, while others may joyfully embrace every beat.   La plus grande surprise s’agit de “Dance With You”, une chanson disco pure avec de nombreux invités. Le duo pop américain Aly et AJ assurent les chœurs. Étonnamment, la chanson est bilingue: la moitié est en français! Max chante en anglais et en français, tandis que la crooner Québecoise Cœur de Pirate (Béatrice Martin) fournit un homologue français époustouflant. Sa voix se distingue par sa différence. Bien sûr, écoutez-le. Les Arkells n’ont jamais eu peur d’aller trop loin, et pour certains c’est peut-être le cas, tandis que d’autres peuvent embrasser avec joie chaque battement.*

There is even a dance remix called “Danser avec toi” available on an iTunes single, with more lyrics in French and more instrumental grooves.

“Running Scared” is another ballad, but completely different from “Teenage Tears”.  Laid back sax and an easy tempo render a song for the night time.  It’s immediately followed by an upbeat pop rocker:  “Something’s Gotta Give” featuring Joel Plasket.  As we race towards the close, this catchy singalong serves as one last blast-off before we face the end.  “Blink once!” announces Joel.  “Then I black out!  Blink twice, ’til we cash out.”  It’s just a party tune.  But something’s gotta give…

“Lost my guitar, lost my keys, lost my favourite pair of jeans…”  The finale “Floating Like” is about all those things that bring us down…but then that upbeat soul chorus hits and it’s like, “who cares!”  There’s a cool “These Eyes” kind of vibe coming from the piano, but the chorus is pure soul.  Sunshine and breezy days in the form of song.  “Now I’m feeling weightless, like I’m gonna make it!” says Max.  This is a song to help get you there.

Blink Twice is another triumph.  Completing the Blink duology with an album full of duets seemed uneven considering the first album only had one.  Instead, both albums do sound cohesive when played together, but the duets on Blink Twice seem to allow the album to build towards something.  Towards a conclusion.  A hopeful conclusion.  After the pandemic weighed so heavily on us all, music was (and still is) a reflection on what we endured.  Blink Once and Twice might be played together as a soundtrack from those days.  While both albums are strong, diverse, pop-centric and experimental, Blink Twice is the climax.

4/5 stars

* Thank you Jex Russell for translation!

 

ARKELLS

  1. Jackson Square (2008)
  2. Michigan Left (2011)
  3. High Noon (2014)
  4. Morning Report (2017)
  5. Rally Cry (2018)
  6. Campfire Chords (2020)
  7. Blink Once (2021)
  8. Blink Twice (2022)
  9. Laundry Pile (2023)

…and more to come

REVIEW: Arkells – Blink Once (2021)

“Blink Once is about resilience. It’s about grieving with loss and fall outs and finding your way back. The making of the album began before the pandemic, but the material seems to hit harder after everything we’ve been through over the past 18 months. These songs are about finding comfort in your family, community and music.” – Arkells

 

ARKELLS – Blink Once (2021 Universal)

Blink Once is the album on which you can definitively say the Arkells transitioned from a rock band to a pop band.  Historically this is the kind of move that earned my wrath, but I’m a lot more chill about it now.  Opening your ears to new kinds of music can’t hurt you, and you may in fact find that you like what your eardrums are beating into you.  When you already love the singer, the drummer, and the other musicians, it’s a lot easier to make that leap.

And Max Kerman is one hell of a singer.

Rather than review in track order, I thought I’d start with what I think is the best song and the clear highlight of Blink Once.  The single “All Roads” is stunning.  Just have a look at its music video, shot by drone over a local landmark:  the Devil’s Punchbowl in Hamilton Ontario.  The band members all make appearances as the drone flies overhead and then zooms down for their closeups.  It’s a remarkable video fitting a very special song.  (I forgive Max Kerman for being in his shorts-and-gym-socks phase.)

You couldn’t name a price,
You couldn’t buy me off,
Don’t need to read my mind,
There’s only one thing that I want,
All roads will lead me to back you.

Don’t let the opening bloops and blips of programmed music fool you.  Once the guitars kick in, the song takes off just like the drone in the video.  Soaring through the clouds on muscular wings of melody, “All Roads” is nothing short of a masterpiece.  “All Roads” sounds like a #1 pop hit from 1988, with the production values of today.  Those “huh!” backing vocals are absolutely from the 80s.  It’s cinematic, as if it came from one of the great romance movies of the decade.   This song is huge and impossible to forget.

Incidentally, I like the production on the lead vocals.  It’s as if you can hear the room that Max is singing in, instead of being uber-bright and clean.

Fortunately, the album is stacked with memorable material.  The opener “Liberation” boasts catchy verses over programmed beats and synths, but then breaks into a chorus that sounds Caribbean in original.  After this, a massive drum beat maintains a tenuous link with rock music.

One of the big singles was “You Can Get It” with American Doc-boot-stompin’ singer and rapper K.Flay (Kristine Flaherty).  She has an interesting breathy style, but this is the song that requires the biggest listener adjustment.  The horn section helps, as does the entertaining “Wheel of Fortune” music video.  Really, it’s all about the horn section.  Live, I’m sure that “I don’t give a fuck, tell me what you want, you can get it!” part is fun to sing along to.  On album, it’s all the horns!

One of my complaints about the prior album Rally Cry was that didn’t have any truly sad tear jerkers, emotional songs that just make you break down.  Blink Once returns to that territory with “Strong”.  This is a song I can relate to — staying strong for members of your family.  “Here’s the rules:  stay strong for me, and I’ll stay strong for you.”  Most poignantly, as I remember the summer of 2018 (that summer that never was):  “Summer is here but it’s sleeping away, why would we want to miss a good day?”  Chills, tears, you name it:  they’re all here.

A short acoustic interlude of “Liberation” called “Little Moments” makes you wish for a full-on acoustic version.  This transitions to a necessary party song called “One Thing I Know”.  A good time piano bopper with samples and loops, like many Arkells songs, the chorus is as big as the sky is wide.  A more beat-driven song called “Truce” follows, with slinky horns again delivering the hooks.  The lyrics are as relatable as always:  “We both say that we fucked up, can we call a truce?”

One of the more interesting songs is “Nobody Gets Me Like You Do”, which seems to relate lyrically to other songs.  The line “I’ll follow you down any road” recalls “All roads will lead be back to you”.  The words “But you’d tell me straight if I fucked up,” bring us back to the previous song.  Most importantly, it’s another melodic summer champion, gliding on mighty wings of pop music.  The saxophone solo is right out of 1985.  You can almost visualise the sunglasses, colourful tee-shirts under white suits, and deck shoes (no socks).  Another album highlight.

“Swing Swing Swing” is one of the only album mis-steps.  It starts with what sounds like studio outtake chatter:  “OK I wanna try to do one of these kinds of songs where people are like, happy and dancing, but everyone’s like really fuckin’ sad when they listen to the lyrics.”  That they accomplished, with the line “a long winter learning how to be alone again” giving you an idea.  Musically it’s another horn-driven R&B style pop song, but not one of their best.  The awkward reference to the Beatles’ “Let It Be” seems forced in an attempt to seem cool.

Fortunately, “No Regrets” puts the album back on track.  A dance beat is accompanied by synth and, yes indeed, more unforgettable Arkells melodies.  The chorus is huge, and just enough to remind you that this album has some great pop songs on it.  Brilliant disco-like strings add to the whole and bring it up to another level.

“Years In the Making” was previously heard on 2020’s Campfire Chords, the acoustic “lockdown” album.  Here is it fully dressed with horns and programming.  The acoustic version might the superior one for purists but there is little wrong with the Blink Once recording.  The choice is yours.

Another brief interlude called “What the Feeling Was Like” talks of hardships, but the closing song “Arm In Arm” is all about overcoming them.  “Not gonna lie I’ve been fucked up.  Not gonna lie it’s been a long year,” sings Max.  And indeed, 2020 was a little fucked up, and it was a numbingly long year.  The music is bright, with those necessary “woah-oh-oh” Arkells backing vocals.  It feels like triumph.

That’s not the actual closer:  An outro sample of a string section from “Reckoning” alludes to the next album, when Max says “Blink Twice…”  Truly, it’s a two-album set, but we’ll get there next time.

If you’re into iTunes, check out a completely different version of “All Roads” called the “Night Drive” version.  They even made a music video for it.  It’s not a remix, but a completely different recording.  A completely different mood.  It doesn’t have the impact of the original, but it is a very cool supplemental.

Blink Once seems split between three directions:  Extremely upbeat happy pop songs, kinda corny and semi-successful R&B forays, and a really sad ballad.  At times it feels like these directions don’t mesh.  It was a weird time.  We needed upbeat music like this at that time.  We were all dealing with a lot of shit.  This is an album to pick you up on a bad day.  Mostly, anyway.

4/5 stars

 

ARKELLS

  1. Jackson Square (2008)
  2. Michigan Left (2011)
  3. High Noon (2014)
  4. Morning Report (2017)
  5. Rally Cry (2018)
  6. Campfire Chords (2020)
  7. Blink Once (2021)
  8. Blink Twice (2022)
  9. Laundry Pile (2023)

…and more to come

REVIEW: Arkells – Jackson Square (2008)

Welcome to Arkells Week!  We will be completing the Arkells Album Review Series this week, and diving into one of their EPs!  Four days, four reviews, for you!  By all means, not a complete series yet – Arkells have expensive EPs I am still in need of and am hunting for.

ARKELLS – Jackson Square (2008 Dine Alone)

Confirmed:  The Arkells were already brilliant from starter’s gun.  Their remarkable debut album Jackson Square (they had an EP before this under the name Charlemagne, that has since been partly reissued as the Arkells Deadlines EP) displays a formidable band with a strong handle on writing great songs.

Jackson Square (the name of a neighbourhood they used to frequent in Hamilton) opens with the slamming “Deadlines”.  First it’s Nick Dika’s bass rumbling through, then Tim Oxford goes hard-hitting on a drum into.  Singer Max Kerman’s lyrics are his first in a career-long attack on the guys in the suits.  “They’re sitting up in the board room, and you sit like a fly on the wall.  You can hear the man in the suit say we don’t have time to stall.  We got deadlines to meet.”  Musically it’s one of the Arkells heaviest tracks and the bass is just omnipresent.

Immediately things lighten up with “Pullin’ Punches”.  A fast punky beat is crossed with a pleasant guitar melody.  There’s a reference to Kingston, Ontario, home of the Tragically Hip.  Again, drummer Tim Oxford gets singled out for his inventive beat.  Max Kerman even references Elton John’s “Your Song” in lyric and melody, in a clever way.  See if you catch it.

The big single was called “Oh, The Boss Is Coming!”  A heavy blues rocker about getting busy on the job, it was also the Arkells first of many comedic music videos.  For using the office safety video tape to record one of their jams, the band are called into the boss’ office!  They are tasked with creating a new safety in the workplace video by Monday morning!  Mostly, it’s fun to observe just how young they were!  Musically, this track recalls the Zeppelins of yore.  Nick’s bassline certainly recalls some of John Paul Jones’ of the past.

Arguably the Arkells’ best song in these early days was the Beatles-Meets-Arkells bop of “Ballad of Hugo Chavez”.  The piano line by Dan Griffin recalls some late era 60s hits, while the “hey hey hey” refrain is pure Arkells.  Though not mixed prominently enough in the song, there’s also the Arkells first horn section to enjoy.  This laid-back classic is a singalong favourite.

Things get fast again on “Tragic Flaw”, a punchy little number.  A melodic chorus keeps it in Arkells-land, but musically there’s a lot of cool stuff going on here with the bass, drums and keyboards.  Guitarist Mike DeAngelis always holds down the fort with catchy little guitar lines, which he does here on the outro.  “Tragic Flaw” flows straight into “No Champagne Socialist”, a harmonica-inflected slow burner.  Again the bass and drums really dominate the mix, but the harmonica work gives it a bit of a Black Crowes vibe.

A soft ballad called “Abigail” boasts a really strong chorus, while the verses simmer under the soothing throb of bass.  A stunner of a song from the early days that perhaps foreshadowed some of the powerful, dramatic songs the band would later write.   Then it’s time for an anthemic blast called “Heart of the City”.  A prototype for later Arkells powerhouses, the chorus is an absolute banger.  A great song for singing along to, pounding your fists, in the house or in the car.  (Especially the car.)

The ballad “I’m Not the Sun” has a lovely, but sad sound.  It has one of Mike DeAngelis’ biggest and best guitar solos, recalling the tone of Neil Young.  This powerful song is a slow burner, but burn it does.  This suddenly transitions into “The Choir”, which has a completely different feel.  It bubbles under, but has a heft to it.  These early songs all have a lot of weight, even the lighter “John Lennon”.  “I’m John Lennon in ’67,” goes the chorus, and you just can’t help but bop your head along.

A final song, “Blueprint”, turns up the tempo and brings back the horns.  This is a blast of a song, pedal to the floor and off to the races.  Those “hey hey hey” refrains firmly cement it as an Arkells song, but what a way to close an album!

Two observations about this album in general.  A couple songs aside such as “Oh, the Boss is Coming!”, Max doesn’t really belt it the way he later would.  As a singer he was still finding his voice and perhaps didn’t have the confidence he would later display.  Second, the production on this album is very powerful but basic.  Later Arkells albums would have many more layers of vocals, keyboards and effects.  That’s not a strike against Jackson Square; just an observation.  There’s a sonic power to this album that the others don’t have.

4/5 stars

There is a double vinyl reissue of this album with a live EP that is still on my wantlist. The Charlemagne EP is a holy grail item.

 

ARKELLS

  1. Jackson Square (2008)
  2. Michigan Left (2011)
  3. High Noon (2014)
  4. Morning Report (2017)
  5. Rally Cry (2018)
  6. Campfire Chords (2020)
  7. Blink Once (2021)
  8. Blink Twice (2022)
  9. Laundry Pile (2023)

…and more to come

REVIEW: Arkells – “The Last Christmas (We Ever Spend Apart)” / “Pub Crawl” (2021 iTunes single)

ARKELLS – “The Last Christmas (We Ever Spend Apart)” / “Pub Crawl” (2021 single)

I usually prefer an original Christmas song to a traditional one.  We’ve all heard those standards a million times.  How about something new?  For Christmas of ’21, the Arkells put out a single with two originals:  “The Last Christmas (We Ever Spend Apart)” and fan favourite “Pub Crawl” (from 2020).

The Christmas tune doesn’t particular sound like a Christmas tune.  It sounds like an Arkells song.  The synth strings and Beatles-y guitar solo dominate the music.  It’s upbeat with singalong qualities, but the lyrics kind of nail the Christmas vibe of the last few years.  Reflecting on the pandemic and the holidays we didn’t spend together:  “Last Christmas, I didn’t get to hug you, last Christmas, it almost broke my heart.”  I really like this verse:  “Are we Catholic, are we Protestant? Jewish somewhere down the line? Got a cousin who’s Republican, I promise I won’t pick a fight.”  Once again, the Arkells tap into those real feelings.  It’s a good song, though it probably won’t usurp anything from your favourite seasonal playlist.

“Pub Crawl” sounds a lot more Christmas-y though the lyrics are only vaguely so.   “Maria’s dancin’ around, and she’s singing Mariah,” is a reference to Mariah Carey’s ever-popular Christmas album.  Instead of 12 days of Christmas, they have 12 pubs to crawl through.  It starts as a piano ballad, and then kicks up into a rocker complete with guitar solo and handclaps.  Max even references himself in the lyrics by name:  “And Max is about to cry (I’m about to cry)”.

Don’t cry, Max!  Merry Christmas, Arkells!

3.5/5 stars