by Milks & Rectangles
March 19, 2010
Night Danger Records
Download: FREE!
Earlier this year, I decided I'd take more risks with obtaining full albums and EPs, rather than sampling a few of their songs first and taking months to decide whether or not they're worth my money. But when the EPs are given away for free on the bands' websites, there's really no question about whether or not I'll take them. Unfortunately, I've given up on this philosophy already, since most of the EPs have been complete garbage, but I still found Troubleshooters to be somewhat listenable and very promising.
Despite the fact that I haven't listened to Franz Ferdinand (on purpose) since You Could Have It So Much Better was first released in 2005, I couldn't help but think of that album at some point during each of these five songs. Whether it was the singer's voice or the lead guitar's short, rhythmic solos, this little piece, if nothing else, brought back some fond memories of my eighth grade year. Now that Franz Ferdinand is too busy playing their newfangled synth-happy Euro-trash music in their own little world, these obscure Canadian rockers have taken it upon themselves to fill in, even if it takes them a few tries to get it right.
I have no intention of putting these guys down, as I know they have good intentions, but I just don't think that they're at the point in their career yet where they'll be able to blow up onto the music scene. I don't ever expect them to be as big as Franz Ferdinand, but I think that if they keep working at it and improve the quality of their music, their first full-length album will get some serious attention. I was rather impressed with a lot of the guitar work on the EP and I think that, combined with the clever lyrics, they'll have enough momentum to at least get noticed by a handful of well-known music blogs out there.
Track Listing:
1. "Wink and a Gun (The Jury's Hung)" (* * *)
2. "Unring a Bell" (* * *)
3. "Cakewalk" (* * * *)
4. "Don't Fall Into the Wrong Hands" (* *)
5. "Long-Haired Hater" (* * *)
Grade: C+
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