9YRS - ALBUM REVIEW

9Yrs - This Is 9 Years (Sonic Envy) 
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/ 

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