The Lad Classic – Rectifier
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| The Lad Classic - Rectifier |
Release Date: Out Now
I have a secret. A dirty secret.
I enjoy the funky, dirty sounds of rock’n’roll and I don’t care who knows it.
Toronto quartet The Lad Classic have produced an album of tight, punchy and
ball busting rock’n’roll tunes that make you want to rev your engine, turn the
stereo up and drive fast. Kicking off, in every sense, with ‘Hip Shaker’ the
drums are front and centre, booming out of the speakers while those bass and
guitar licks tangle elegantly like a pair of leather clad ballet dancers. Recent
single ‘Are You With Me?’ follows hot on the heels with a riff that is
somewhere between Reef and Guns’n’Roses which is OK by me and then some – this is
a pure delight of a rock’n’roll tune that has a chorus the size of a Jumbo Jet
and riffs to match. By the time we reach ‘Halfway to Memphis’ The Lad Classic
have settled in to their groove and are producing driving, urgent rock music to
escape to.
On ‘The Night’, guitarist Ben Healey shows off his
impressive guitar work with a circular riff that fits perfectly in to the
groove and keeps the high tempo rolling. ‘Who’ doesn’t let up the pace either
with the wheels turning relentless and Paul Steven’s vocals doing acrobatics
that Matt Bellamy and Chris Cornell (RIP) would be proud of. Now, one thing you
don’t expect on a slick rock album is a song called ‘Kitchen Sink’ but the
scratchy, funky guitars matched with the powerful grunge-pop vocals are air
lifted in from the 90s as though a lost duet between Pearl Jam and Red Hot
Chili Peppers has suddenly surfaced. The Vedder and Co. vibes continue on ‘I’ve
Got Your Sympathy’ before ‘Heart of Mine’ drops things down for a slower number
that stays just the right side of Nickleback territory but is firmly in 90s MTV
waters. Now, the Soundgarden feels are in full force on ‘Star Shooter’ as the
power chords and loose drumming hit powerfully as they build in to something
truly mesmerising. ‘Summer Song’ marks the end of the album proper with an
acoustic strum that feels a little like an afterthought but it’s a fitting way
to wind things down after such a ferocious album.
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| The Lad Classic - waiting for a bus, presumably |
Now, normally I’m not a fan of tagging ‘acoustic versions’
on to the end of albums but in this case the stripped down versions of ‘Are You
With Me?’, ‘Halfway To Memphis’ and ‘I’ve Got Your Sympathy’ are incredibly
well worked and add genuine new dimensions to the songs. The only tragedy is
that these guys are a few years too late for MTV unplugged but they have the
chops and the songs to impress crowds the world over so I doubt they’ll be too
worried. Now, let’s go back to the start and get our rock on, agreed?
More information: https://www.facebook.com/pg/theladclassic
Live Dates:
7th July – The Toucan, Kingston w/Sweet Talk
Jackie
21st July – Asylum, Sudbury
22nd July – LIVE on Elgin, Ottawa w/Dress Black +
Sweet Rocket
12th August – This Ain’t Hollywood, Hamilton
w/Sun Kings
19th August – Chickenstock, Severn
15th September – L’Entre Nous, Montreal
16th September – Toucan, Kingston
22nd September – Station Music Hall, Sarnia
30th September – Button Factory Arts, Waterloo