A very weird collaboration, as is standard for Western Canada, between a 50 year old man and a 12 year old girl – and I have to say, the 12 year old girl shines on this record. It’s not very interesting, with about 2 instruments and vocals throughout. I didn’t make it through the whole album, so if you can do better, give it a try. I doubt anyone not getting paid to listen to this record will make it past the first three songs, unless you are heavily into industrial drum and bass, or you’re trapped in a mall.
Spokes is about the universe and bikes. It delves deeper into the Canadian prison industrial complex, which is where I assume this song was recorded. Game point has wild, frantic drums, but at the moment that Steve’s record label, ERA, offered to pay me for this review, I refused to do an interview as I knew that journalistic integrity would be compromised.
Home is Where The Art Is seems to have had more thought put into the title than the songwriting, but the lyric “throw some paint at the wall” really shines. Derealisation has some cool strings or vocals, I couldn’t really tell, and perhaps I will never know. Out of Hand is a song about mistakes, with Steve employing a backup singer to make up for his pained vocals.
The Long Internal Struggle is pretty good, it has the best production of the album.
Spade is unpublished at this time, so if you want to press copies of it, please contact us and we will put you in touch with the artist’s management.
A great example of not believing everything you read on the internet. First off, in our press release it clearly stated the drummer was 17 not 12! If you know anything about music it’s not an industrial drum ‘n bass record, it’s a rock record. Spokes is not about the universe, or prisons and there’s one line reference to a bike. Out of hand is clearly about environmental issues. The press release clearly stated our drummer did vocals and I didn’t “employ” a back up singer.
This is my favourite part of this review: I was asked to pay an “ink fee” (for an online blog) and when I politely refused…well instead the spin is that when”my label” (I don’t have one) offered to pay it would “compromise the writer’s journalistic integrity!” Amusing, really, and dishonest. From our email correspondence:
Hi Steve,
Please let me know your phone number and I’ll give you a call. Please note there may be a fee of $25 for our ink fund, which helps us get the magazine to print.
Kind regards
####
Hey #### thanks for getting back to me. Based on your website I was under the impression this is an online blog. I’m not interested in paying for press at this time.
Many thanks. Steve
“No worries, that’s understood. I can still interview you, but it’s not guaranteed that the interview will be published. Let me know what you think.” ####
So clearly it was suggested that if we pay we get press, and because we didn’t well, this is the review we get. Pretty disingenuous to your readers, sir.
Thanks for noticing that the long internal struggle was the best production on the record. That’s the only thing you got right.