Needle by Born Ruffians

Needle [audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2012/11/21/3368941/01%20-%20Needle.mp3]

Born Ruffians are back at it. As a four-piece. Normally I find the addition of a band member far-into a band’s career troubling, a sign of desperation. However, change is not always bad, and after their (personally) disappointing album Say It, I’m willing to embrace it. And you should be too!

The opening track to their recently released LP Birthmarks, “Needle” is far more stylized and glossy than any previous work. This new sound (and presumably higher production value) is effective and approachable, and fits nicely in the canon that is Canadian indie rock. Admittedly, the opening vocals tread a bit too closely to Fleet Foxes. However, any comparisons vanish as soon as the band kicks in around the 50 second mark. Born Ruffians’ skill lies in their ability to capitalize on open space, and embrace the sparseness of a three-piece (sorry, now a four-piece) rather than constantly overcompensating and trying to produce a fat sound. Birthmarks as a whole still sounds like Born Ruffians, with characteristic lo-fi drums, guitar quips, and Luke Lalonde’s unmistakable singing (which has returned to fine form).

Born Ruffians are the second-to-last act of the Wolfe Island Music Festival, and I’m curious to see how their new line-up and album will translate into their notoriously spontaneous and frenetic live act.

-Graham

You’re Mine by Joel Plaskett Emergency

You’re Mine [audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2012/11/21/3368941/You%20re%20Mine%20-%20Joel%20Plaskett%20Emergency.mp3]

One of the first posts I submitted to The Vault was for a  great acoustic love song by Nova Scotia’s own Joel Plaskett. Well I’m here again to extol the virtues of Joel’s more plugged-in, cranked-up side. “You’re Mine” is another tune off the Emergency’s latest LP, Scrappy Happiness. This song is remarkably full for a three-piece (especially when you consider the tenor guitar), and manages to take a traditional set-up and make it sound fresh and exciting. The structure is that of a standard rock song [verse, pre-chorus, chorus, repeat!] and outside of a few unexpected licks or fills there aren’t too many surprises, musically. But the song’s true merit, like many of Joel Plaskett’s songs, lies in his uncanny ability as a songwriter. The lyrics are drenched in nostalgia, yet are rallying and optimistic. If you’re not on board by the chorus’ falsetto finale of “I am yours and you are MINE”, you gotta start over and give this song the attention it deserves.

Joel Plaskett Emergency headlines the Wolfe Island Music Festival this year, and I couldn’t think of anyone more appropriate to front this all-Canadian, all-independent festival. I saw them at the Grand Theatre last October, and it was one of the longest, most energetic, musically exciting shows I’ve seen in years. Joel has a huge catalogue to select from and tackles every song with gusto and confidence, as does his extremely consistent rhythm section (i.e. The Emergency). It’s ok to feel good about feel-good music.

-Graham