This Halifax band hearkens back to the days when synth players wore white lab coats on stage and they were only half-joking. All sorts of old-school synthesizer drives tracks such as the single "Dark Side Of The Room" while... wait a minute! That's an awfully sharp guitar sneaking in there, and the further we get into the album, the nastier it gets. Truth be told, this mixes as much '70's prog (with a touch of harder rock) into the mix as it does '80's early electronica. And it's all quite dance-worthy.
"Cookie Cutter" is so heavy it's scary, while still making you move to the chanted gang chorus, "Cookie cutter, cookie cutter, can't you see?/They're making cookies, making cookies out of you and me." That's not the only singalong slogan offered up. "People United" with its riot sound effects, is based around the cheer, "People united will never be defeated." For all the fun, there's some revolutionary thinking going on. If it's the '80's, then it's 1984, big brother.
Another element that steers the band away from the glut of electronica bands past and present is lead singer Craig Mercer's worthy pipes. He can turn these numbers into stadium anthems when needed, doing his best Bono. Throw in a couple of actual violin solos, and these Scientists are full of surprises and magic formulas.
The group is on tour to launch the new album. You can catch them starting on release day at the following:
Friday, Nov. 15 - The Capitol, Fredericton
Saturday, Nov. 16 - Pub Down Under, Saint John
Saturday, Nov. 23 - Marquee Ballroom, Halifax
No comments:
Post a Comment