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FULCRUM
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DAYFALL
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Atlas Shrugged
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Zumanity
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Portobello
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Hey Vampires
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Friday Nov 07, 2008
Charlemagne & Blue Skies at War | CD Reviews
We Can Build an Island
Charlemagne’s album, We Can Build an Island, is a blend of several pop-rock genres smoothly amalgamated by catchy bass hooks, bright chord progressions, and tranquil melodies. The track Crushes, for example, opens with a sharp, attention-grabbing guitar riff ? akin to classic rock of the late 60s and early 70s ? before becoming a punchy, upbeat tune with enough rough edges to be satisfying.
Conversely, another distinct characteristic of the album is in songs like We're Gonna Hate All Over This Town. Although still with hints of Charlemagne’s characteristic pop-rock sound, We’re Gonna Hate… is tinted with an underlying alt-country feel. Branching into yet another entirely new direction, tracks such as Quivers on an Overpass and You are My Diary, conjure comparisons to indie darlings The Shins and Wilco.
The consistently strongest part of each song, connecting all the very different sounds and genres, is the catchy and fun bass lines which, at times, could even be used with more prominence.
Overall, We Can Build an Island, is a diverse album that becomes more pleasurably with each listen.
Blue Skies at War
You Pour the Gasoline, I'll Light the Match
You Pour the Gasoline, I’ll Light the Match, the debut full-length album from the London, Ontario based Blue Skies at War, is a barrage of modern hardcore punk and screamo. Unrelenting in rapid guitar-driven power, You Pour the Gasoline… progresses with each song sounding as dense and forceful as the last. The vehement, and at times, raw and guttural vocals are equally as strong and give each song unwavering energy.
Many tracks, such as Constant Reminder, Etched in Skin, and Tailor, bring to mind Alexisonfire, while others, like Last Call, seem to be drawing more from their hardcore punk influences.
On the whole, You Pour the Gasoline, I’ll Light the Match is indicative of a debut album; it portrays a band that have coalesced as musicians, but still have plenty of room ahead of them to mature as song writers and branch out from their influences to find a sound that is all their own.
Jessica Davis
Associate Editor
Aralie.com