Retro-tinged hard rock, can you handle the Truth?
While the band had a focus on darker times with previous records, album three aims for positivity and triumph over adversity.
Although categorised as a hard rock band, these self-proclaimed rock and roll hippies, live by the ethos of being self-reliant, community-driven, and embracing the message of unity, peace, and love. Far from being a quirky nod to the past, post-pandemic, this goal will be more important than ever.
"if Jefferson Airplane were still recording, they'd be making a record like this."
This mindset has also filtered through to their musical DIY approach, quite literally growing things organically from grassroots up. This self-reliant attitude caught the attention of legendary producer, and fellow Canadian, Bob Rock. While Covid meant that the band couldn't finish the work they had started with Rock, his influence laid the foundations and Juno Award-winning producerJean Massicotte, jumped aboard to add the final touches.
Their music is retro-tinged hard rock, rather than psychedelic grooves and a superb example of fierce, female-fronted rock. Lee-La Baum is a heavy-duty singer from the same stable as Beth Hart, Ann Wilson, Janis Joplin, and Grace Slick: In fact, if Jefferson Airplane were still recording, they'd be making a record like this.
There are bold choruses, grungy guitar lines, and of course, stellar vocals. The fire literally rages through the album. From the defiant roar of 'This is who We Are Now' to the smokey bluesy vocals of 'Lonely, the band seldom takes their foot off the gas. The one exception is the stunning deep cut 'Everything Fades' which channels an 'All Things Must Past' vibe. The acoustic-led track would have made a perfect album closer, but surprisingly it's hidden away in the middle of the album. Even though its placement may seem strange, the track quickly makes itself known and builds to an incendiary crescendo, leaving the band in a perfect place to steamroller on.
Alongside messages of hope and love, the songs on the album encourage resilience to accept where we are and move forward. After all, we can't go back, there is no future, just the here and now. The very 60s ethos of living for the moment is paramount here; not in a hedonistic way, but the realization that this present moment is all we have. We can hope for better times, more unity, more love, but all that counts is today. It really is now or nowhere.
BAND LINE-UP
LEE-LA BAUM – VOCALS, GUITAR, TAMBOURINE
TOM SHEMER – GUITARS, KEYBOARDS, MANDOLIN, TAMBOURINE, VOCALS
PY LETTERLIER – BASS GUITAR, TAMBOURINE, VOCALS
DAVE TRAINA – DRUMS, VOCALS
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