html>
discography: us against the world (2000) - Barrhaven Independent Review (Dec 9th 2000)
Barrhaven Independent Review by Chris Shane (Dec 9th 2000)
Local band Rubbish recently produced its first CD, and if it is any indication, the four piece group has places to go. The band was featured in the Independent on Oct. 14, just after they had finished recording Us Against The World in Chelsea, Quebec. The band is also scheduled to record a three-song EP at Nepean's Distortion Studios, which manager Kirk Ellard says will allow the band to polish their sound a bit more. "In recording this CD, they were able to learn a bit about recording. Now they can put it to use and produce an even better sounding recording," said Mr. Ellard, an established local recording artist. The words "even better" are significant here, as this CD is surprisingly good in terms of the sound quality and the songs themselves. It is all to easy to dismiss a band made up of four high school students as just another garage band, but Rubbish's sound hints at much greater things. The sound is pure power-pop, similar to the sound bands like Blink-182 and Gob have popularized recently. But the sound is not a rip-off. At first listen, the band's own musical style comes out: very strong pop melodies, lots of catchy guitar hooks and the odd break into an up-tempo punk sound. The lyrics are a nice break from the usual teen-angst prose so common among young pop bands. One song that stands out on first listen is track seven, Summer. Pat Gervais' lyrics talk about the hopefulness of youth and how important it is to live for the day: "I've got the whole world at my reach / Breathe it in, show no fear / It's all in front of you." Another track that will have you reaching for the repeat button on the CD player is number four, Saturday Morning Cartoons. The title belies the song's pleading sound: "From the world we knew / Everything has been erased / All the memories, no more sunny summer days." One of the first bands that comes to mind, at least while listening to this particular song, is Silverchair. The last song, called Once in a While, could have been titled "Ode to a hockey parent". Chris Wyllie sings, "And I'm sorry if I ditch you now / But I hope you know I love you even though it might not show / Whatever happens, I'll never let you go." While the odd technical mistake show that this is the band's first go at recording, the songs are remarkably mature and each musician's talent shows through in the 10 songs on Us Against the World. This CD is an excellent showcase for a young band that could go far if they stick to what they love doing. Rubbish has shattered every misconception about young bands and proven that a group of four 17-year-olds is worth paying attention to.
