"Deflecting Your Accolades"

Reviews of Beth In Battle Mode, Chance and Dead Leaf Echo

So many CD's, so little time. And judging by the fact that we still have new releases coming up this year by Midlake, Divine Comedy, Editors, Richard Hawley, Kings of Convenience, Sonic Youth, etc, etc, etc, it's becoming painfully obvious that covering all of that ground is not going to be an easy task. (It's not a good sign when I find myself actually being relieved that I don't like Peter Bjorn and John's latest CD since it means that this is one less release to worry about. Pretty sad 'eh?) Anyways, here's a sampling of a few releases that have been out for a little while that I do quite enjoy.

Beth In Battle Mode - Hot Science

This local band continues on the course they charted with their intoxicating debut by upping the ante and proving that their ability to write the catchiest songs around was no mere fluke. From the opening guitar and heavily cowbelled opener of I Want You (Outta Here), BIBM gets the party started with a sound that is still steeped in all the wonderment that 80's new age has to offer, but this time turning the rock up just a little bit. While their sense of fun is still in tact, there is a definite newfound maturity displayed in songs like You Found A Cause, and the more downtempo Secret/ Weakness which shows that the band is certainly capable of mixing up the vibe from time to time. Still, they shine the brightest when performing keyboard heavy pop songs that contain the hookiest chorus's imaginable. The title track is awesome, boasting a solid key line, a mildly atmospheric bridge, solid backing vocals and Edward Maher's authoritative high pitched near falsetto. Another standout is A Little-Known Fact which is probably the song that comes closest to harnessing the explosive energy that the band is capable of administering on the live stage. Hot Science is a great album that should provide a suitable soundtrack to a party filled Saturday night.

Myspace: Beth In Battle Mode
Stream: Hot Science (entire album) is being streamed at CBC Radio 3
Photo by James Pattyn
Download: A Little-Known Fact mp3

Chance - Famous Words and Alibis

The music of LA musician Chance has always been that of a subtle beast. At first listen it comes across as standard alt-rock complete with feedback and roaring guitars. But as the songs burrowed a steady hole into my head, I consistently found myself revisiting them time and time again, as his affable eccentricity becomes more and more apparent with every listen. I've described his music in the past as unclassifiable and the same holds true with his first real full length. What makes him a real enigma of sorts is the fact that although the songs are very difficult to pigeonhole into a genre, they're by no means weird. The songs may stand in a definite league of their own, but they are still very accessible and catchy. The opening track Happening hypnotically sucks you in, as the lyric "no one even knows what's happening" becomes all the more swirling and anthemic as the song reaches its sweet crescendo before blasting into Ambulance Chaser, one of the album's many rockers. Chance can rock with the best of them, but I personally find the more atmospheric cuts to be the standouts. There is a vulnerability in the vocals accompanying Ripped, Torn, Broken, which is a truly progressive sonic adventure. You is a power ballad wherein Chance unashamedly enlists a complete vocal choir to accompany him, lifting the song to heights that it may not have reached otherwise. And speaking of crescendoed heights, Life And Life Only ends the album in a stadium worthy manner, boasting a guitar sound that brings me back to the grunge meets pop stylings of the mid 90's. Overall, Famous Words and Alibis is admittedly a grower, but once it does, its subtle charms are impossible to ignore.

Chance releases his music 100% independently and you can purchase 'Famous Words and Alibis' on his website.

Myspace: Chance
Video: Life And Life Only on youtube
Above photo is on his myspace page
Download: Happening mp3


Dead Leaf Echo - Truth

After being incredibly impressed with last year's Pale Fire EP, Dead Leaf Echo have done it again with another lush production of atmospheric shoegaze on this brilliant six song EP. This time around they've enlisted the production know-how of John Fryer, who has worked with Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode and Lush. Much like their previous release, the band chooses to approach their style with a careful reverberation, as opposed to the large wall of noise that is presented by other notable shoegazers. This allows them to have a more melodic sound that encapulates a feeling of melancholy. The highlight track is Act Of Truth, which opens with a swirling backing vocal that continues throughout the course of the song. The echoey guitars chime in at a pleasant tone giving the song a real soundtrack feel, evoking images similar to the ones that Psychedelic Furs have done in the past, and M83 has accomplished more recently. The EP also ends on a very powerful note with Trial, where the vocals and instrumentation work closely together to create a soundscape of warmth and beauty, coupled with a frenetic leaning towards the inauspicious.

Myspace: Dead Leaf Echo
Photo is on myspace
Download: Act Of Truth mp3