Listening to the Canadian band’s much anticipated new album
Last time I talked to The Strumbellas back in late January, they told me they would “only leave me with one percent of the album’s information.” In the past few months, the band has heavily toured to promote their newest album. Hillside Inside invited them to play a show at Guelph, where they played unreleased tracks from the album, including “Shovels and Dirt” and “We Don’t Know.” The crowd took the songs with no less than excitement and positive surprise. Their latest album Hope, set to release on April 22, 2016, expands on their sound while still sticking to their folk roots.
The album begins with their single “Spirits,” which is not an unfamiliar track to those who avidly listen to the radio. Arguably one of the catchiest songs on the radio, the track explodes with anthemic energy. As seen from the album’s artwork, the music video for “Spirits” strongly pulls influences from the funeral march depicted on the cover.
The tracks give easy transitions into a new, never-before-heard sound from The Strumbellas. “The Hired Band,” one of the slower tracks on the album, is more blues-y than the typical folk sound the band has given us so far. The harmonies ease the listener into subtle changes that come with the instrumentation in the track. The album then jumps to “Young & Wild,” a poster summer anthem. With the introduction to synths, paired with carefree lyrics, “Young & Wild” is sure to be another hit.
Overall, the album as a whole makes for a bumpy listen. Tracks jump from smooth, slow, acoustic songs to synth infused dance songs. However, the subtle synth additions that synonymously connect to the band’s previous folk presence is the best way to introduce long-time fans to a bolder, more mainstream sound. There is great variability within the tracks, from slow, personal tracks like “I Still Make Her Cry” to fun, easy-to-single-along-to tracks like “David.”
In the past year, the band has flourished in the media. From their recent Jimmy Kimmel performance, to signing with Glassnote Records, they’ve gone from being a small, indie-Canadian band to a group that has topped the charts for a few consecutive weeks. This album is no exception to this burst of positive feedback.