9Yrs - This Is 9 Years (Sonic Envy)
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| 9 Yrs - This Is 9 Years |
Time to make my almost weekly
visit to Canada as Toronto duo 9Yrs have popped up with a new album of big
sounding pop-rock tunes for your delectation. Ivie and Derek might not be the
most rock'n'roll names but opening track 'Chemical Love Letters' is a powerful
piece of pop-rock that features gorgeous vocal melodies and some relentless
rhythms that give this a truly uplifting feel. On to 'Vintage Girl' and the
mood shifts to a more Coldplay vs Snow Patrol indie ballad feel while 'Shooting
Erica' has more of an edge and those big, pounding drums are back again to
provide the perfect foil to Ivie's sweet vocal tones. 'Burning The Bridge' is
pure Joshua Tree-era U2 but with more of a 21st century rumble to it while 'Darkhorse'
has a feel of Katy Perry crossing over to a darker place, musically speaking.
Looking at the duo's influences,
they cite the likes of U2, Catherine Wheel, Sugar and Filter and this all comes
through in the big sounding tunes but slick song writing on this album. On
'November 30th' the double act get more introspective before 'Radio Daze' hits
you like Pink! on a rampage with her girlfriends. 'She He Him' has a scuzzy,
fuzzy appeal to the guitars while 'Thirteen' channels those U2 vibes again but
with vocals that you might expect to come from a million selling pop star doing
their 'tender' anthem for the kids. That's the clever juxtaposition here in the
balance between stadium sized rock and arena shaped pop that 9Yrs blend so well
on tracks like 'All' and 'Playlists From Last Night'. There are quite a lot of
tracks on this album, maybe a few too many if I'm being brutally honest, but
closing up with 'Tastes Like Saints' is a triumphant, arms in the air anthem
that you can almost hear festival crowds roaring along to if you listen really
carefully. Yet again, Canada, you've given me something a bit different. I'm
going to have to come and give you a big pat on your Canadian backs one of
these days.
More information: http://www.thisis9yrs.com/