Just when you thought the mass of widely hyped Canadian bands labeled the new Arcade Fire, the new New Pornographers, or the new Broken Social Scene was drying up there’s another one. The Rural Alberta Advantage is from Toronto, and they’re the latest band to storm the Rainbow Bridge after being widely hyped and compared to the aforementioned trio. The Rural Alberta Advantage self-released their full-length debut “Hometowns” in 2008 and created a fairly substantial following and hype on the internet. In 2009 Saddle Creek Records picked the album up and re-released it, giving the band another push towards indie-rock stardom.
“Hometowns” isn’t the kind of album you need time to fall in love with, it has more in common with the girl you rest your eyes on in a bar after a few pints than with the soul mate that you’ll spend the rest of your life being in love with. The album is filled with lovely harmonies, catchy hooks and sounds you wouldn’t have expected to go that well together. Although resting on a solid pop base the band integrates folk, country, and punk in the mix and somehow make it work. In the process they create a sound that ultimately is their own and which make them stick out from your everyday catchy pop-band (no, I don’t really think they sound like the holy trinity of Canadian bands mentioned above). Even though I, at the time of writing this, sort of just wish they were from somewhere else, I have to admit that “Hometowns” definitely is one of my favorite albums this year.
Don’t haunt this heart,
Don’t haunt this place,
Your heart beating slow as it beats out a pace,
West side apartment grows lonely and dark,
West side apartment is two more empty hearts.
I see your keys hanging in the same place,
They haven’t moved for a month or even a day,
This was hard it was fun,
We should do it again,
Give ourselves some time,
Ten years for the day.
Don’t Haunt This Place :: The Rural Alberta Advantage
Franck, AB :: The Rural Alberta Advantage
Sleep All Day :: The Rural Alberta Advantage
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