Move and Scale
Christ vs. Krishna
7-out-of-10
Toronto's Christ vs. Krishna not only have a clever name, they are what I might call 'essential Indie rock'. Their current release, Move and Scale, is a nose dive into catchy and rhythmic, danceable songs that sum up what the college music scene is all about.
A mellow mix of new wave rock and 80's influenced harmonics create a distinctly unique sound, seamlessly putting together memorable melodies reminiscent of The Cure with relaxed, pop infused rhythmics. The music has a feel good vibe, and gives you many hum-able melodies to carry around for days. The percussion section offers delicious grooves and ensures that your feet will be moving. The guitars are simply too catchy, and the addition of some samples and a keyboard really give it that 80's flair.
The opening track, "Teezer", is a punchy and solid jumping off point and sets the overall tone for the record. Front man Pank Bagga sings his clever lyrics with a confident tenor and nostalgic demeanor much like Morrissey. I love the lo-fi, under-produced tone to this record and the way that sound just suits it.
The only drawback I found to this album was lack of variation. I thought they could have taken some things a little further, like experimenting more with sampling or breaking up the somewhat monotonous drum beats.
Move and Scale takes me right back to my time spent in Southern Ontario and is exactly what you'd expect to hear in any college bar on a Friday night. It's extremely fun and I definitely enjoyed it!
-SEAN CRAIB-PETKAU
Somewhere
The Wallpaper
8-out-of-10
Somewhere by Rochester, NY's The Wallpaper is another catchy example of some fine indie rock.
Nothing but lo-fi rock and roll graces this record, thick with crisp guitars and rich with melodies. The songs are all catchy, dance inducing tunes that bring to mind the slow beginning of summer. This six piece includes layered guitars and keyboards that really allow for much harmonic movement, simple melodies that dip and dodge around a sturdy drum and bass. A handful of voices sing out the honest lyrics and offer up modest but beautiful harmonies.
This album explores the concepts of moving on, up, and out. It speaks earnestly to that time of growing up, finding love, and losing it. The simplistic nature of them makes the songs easy listens. They became a very pleasant soundtrack for a few tasks I had at hand and often brought on a surreal state of feeling like I was being filmed by an old 8mm camera, there's just something about this sound.
Somewhere is a very great album for those who love that lo-fi sound and are nostalgic for the alternative scene of the last decade. Somewhere is currently available in a very handsome handmade case (limited to 40 copies) at thewallpaper.bandcamp.com
-SEAN CRAIB-PETKAU
