Not just a cover band
With their debut album, Walk Off the Earth has introduced a sound that is different from everything on the radio right now. Their YouTube cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” – involving only one guitar being played by all five band members – has received over 148 million views and landed them a performance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show shooting them into the public’s radar. The band formed in Burlington, Ontario back in 2007 and has released two full-length albums and an extensive collection of covers, but this is their first album since signing a record deal with Columbia Records. The debut album is an extension of their fall release EP that got rave reviews. Adding seven songs to the EP, Walk Off The Earth has created a cool blend of island, reggae and indie vibes to create a summery and uplifting album.
The band incorporates a mesh of female and male vocals from Sarah Blackwood, Ryan Marshall, and Gianni Luminati adding to the indie-pop sound. The three vocals plus Mike Taylor’s keys, Joel Cassady’s percussion and every member’s ability to play a vast amount of other instruments allows for the authentic live sound in R.E.V.O.
The band’s more poppy song “Red Hands” is already loved by radios because it manages to be completely contagious without being annoying. The creative music video was released back in November and seems to be made with a handful of clips, but is actually one continuous shot. The video fast-forwards and rewinds but is still one clip, meaning the band had to perform the song out-of-order and, at some parts, in triple time. The video is epic, so the band’s unedited version is equally as impressive if not more so.
The song that essentially sums up the entire sound of the album is “Gang of Rhythm,” unleashing the island, reggae style incorporated throughout the album. The song opens with a soft guitar, adding an acoustic guitar and kick drum at the vocal’s summoning. In contrast, the fourth track “Speeches” perfectly compliments the rest of the album with a faster pace and powerful bass. The song includes a backing trumpet and of course a catchy chorus but with more emotional, slower lyrics. The range from these two songs demonstrates how well developed this album is and how diverse and unique Walk Off the Earth really are.
The more summery anthems include the album’s title track “R.E.V.O.” and obviously the ninth track “Summer Vibe.” “R.E.V.O” is joyous and infectious with catchy melodies, while “Summer Vibe” is more reggae style with lyrics about enjoying sunshine and opening with a ukulele. These songs are sure to be blasting from your friend-filled car, windows rolled down going on a summer cruise.
The only downside to this uplifting album are the less distinct tracks “Money Tree” and “These Times” that sound like they’ve been done before, with unoriginal lyrics and nothing new or exceptional to add. This is understandable considering the band has done numerous covers before this album and their cover of “Somebody That I Used to Know” – featured on R.E.V.O – drastically helped the band gain publicity.
That being said, don’t count Walk Off the Earth as just a cover band. This album explains their sudden claim to fame proving that they deserve all the publicity they’re receiving. The band has discovered a solid sense of identity that is distinctively unique, allowing them to take a huge leap into the music industry. This formerly obscure indie band has made its way out of the shadows just in time to cruelly taunt us with the promise of summer. R.E.V.O. is just the beginning for Walk Off the Earth, encouraging high expectations for any future music.