-Greg’s Take-
You know that dream you have where you set the lineup for your own music festival or tour? Well, can someone explain why mine is suddenly becoming overrun by Canadians?
Canada has had their music presence, in some capacity, for quite some time. The Guess Who and their opinion of women from America, Bryan Adams and his summer memories, Alanis Morissette and her quirky irony, The Barenaked Ladies and their inexplicable success with letters about monkeys and whatever that thing Nickelback does, but I digress. Lately their sound has garnered a much more respectable rock sound. First was the sneaky Fab Claxton, then the rebirth of the underground legends The Marvelous Beauhunks (currently fronted by said Mr. Claxton) and now comes Thought Beneath Film.
The Hamilton, Ontario five-some drives a catchy rock sound that lingers in you long after the blood-pumping, foot-stomping is over. Most impressively, they accomplish a poppy vocal sound that borders teenybopper, heart-throb but doesn’t quite reach that realm and maintains a very rock feel.
Thought Beneath Film’s debut EP Detours was not accomplished easily, mixed by three different engineers after being re-recorded twice, but the end product is well worth a spin or seven. Matt Foster, David Lindsay, Dave Dedrick, Brian Wirth and Brent Wirth embody that mid-to-late 90s pop/rock chemistry that is everything addicting. The five tracks carry the vocal breakdowns which emerge with slurring pop vocals and drive forward on heavy riffs and rock beats synonymous with when summers were defined by a single great album and days felt longer with massive tunes. It is the kind of sound that spreads from friend to friend like a wildfire. Be a good friend and pass them along.
Most importantly, Thought Beneath Film feels very current and never fake. From the moment you hit play on “If I Could Fix You (You Know That I Would)” to the last chorus/fade out of “Sixty-Six” there isn’t a moment of doubt that Detours is fun as hell. Just be forewarned, the EP will demand replay again and again. Now, at the risk of Canada exploding with awesomeness, who do I need to talk to about getting these guys together with The Marvelous Beauhunks?
