Canadian content
Its ironic that someone who so perfectly embodies the dregs of American pop culture is one of Said The Whale’s biggest boosters.
I nearly junked the email from the band’s publicists when it hit my inbox, boldly displaying a laudatory quote from none other than Perez Fucking Hilton in the body of the letter. That’s right, the world’s biggest dinkbag endorsed an earlier single by the band, saying, “If the Killers and Badly Drawn Boy were to have a love child, it’d be Said The Whale.” As though Perez Hilton would know the first thing about love; as far as I can tell hate is his sole reason for existence. Moreover, I don’t really hear the Killers in this at all.
What you will get is a healthy dose of acoustic guitar-driven indie pop with an eye on the ever-expanding horizon that is available to the band’s members, both as Vancouver residents and as a touring band. They write what they know and since the release of their first full-length they’ve gotten to know a lot of Canada.
“Dear Elkhorn” and “Holly, ON” bookend the album, literally, their shared chord progression effectively starting and ending a journey across a large nation (even if they aren’t that far apart, geographically speaking). Manitoba and Ontario lie on the outskirts of the tracklisting, while Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Eastern island provinces, and of course B.C. (in several instances) are all touchstones or inspirations for the songs here.
The record begins memorably. The deliberate opening track is a gradual introduction, the bands complex vocal harmonies taking center stage and providing a transition into the bouncy, almost ebullient “Out On The Shield.” It’s an incredibly catchy number paced by frantic drum runs and sprightly piano. However that exuberance misrepresents the song’s lyrics, which concern discontented residents of a far-off mining town wishing for a less-isolated urban environment. The pace gets reigned in sharply on “B.C. Orienteering,” which sounds like a Roy Orbison song in so many ways its a little scary.
“Camilo (the Magician)” will command much of the attention the band will see this year. Showcased earlier this summer on an EP sharing a similar title, this is some bare-bones power-pop that is practically New Pornographic. While the song is dizzying in its pop prowess, it does showcase what is an occasional weakness for the band: the lyrics. I have no idea what this song is about. Apparently a magician that makes a car move….with his mind, perhaps?
The Whalers paint a more evocative picture on tracks like “A Black Day In December,” a story about the city of Vancouver failing to be prepared for or deal with an unusually brutal snowstorm. “Out On The Shield” is a simple idea wonderfully developed, encapsulating the intense malaise of the song’s characters. Even “Goodnight Moon” eventually transcends its opening moments, an homage to the famed child’s story. The common thread is the wistful and idolatry Canadian-ness of it all, the observations and memories intertwined around deft vocal melodies and meaty harmonies that give the songs not only staying power but also layers to digest later on.
Regardless of whether or not its the Perez bump at work or the band’s ability to capitalize on a few thousand extra MySpace hits, it appears to be working. In more ways than one, actually: not only is this a catchy and compelling listen, it is apparently tearing up the inter-charts. Islands Disappear hit the top of iTunes’ “alternative” chart and reached #5 on the album chart shortly after its release. As long as they don’t get dismissed for being a part of indie rock’s latest animal obsession they just might make the big time.
Said The Whale - Camilo the Magician [2:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Said the Whale - Out On The Shield [2:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadIslands Disappear is available physically here and (shocker!) iTunes has digitalz.
They aren’t hitting Regina this time around, but they are spreading the love:
Oct 24th - St. John’s, NL - The Ship
Oct 28th - Toronto, ON - El Mocambo
Oct. 31st - Thunder Bay, ON - The Apollo
Nov 2nd - Winnipeg, MB - Pyramid
Nov 4th - Saskatoon, SK - Amigos
Nov 5th - Calgary, AB - SAIT Gateway
Nov 6th - Edmonton, AB - Brixx
Nov 7th - Lethbridge, AB - Henotic
Nov 8th - Canmore, AB - Communitea
Nov 9th - Kelowna, BC - Habitat
“Camilo, I need to see where you made that CARD go.”
Whooooooooooooops.
That seems fairly obvious in hindsight. Yes, it does.