Grand Prix
North Lakes
Independent /
Bandcamp.
SCQ Rating: 65%
North Lakes isn’t a
folk band; that’s the realization these Prince Edward Island natives arrived at
shortly after touring for their debut album Cobra. Two years later, Grand Prix
is the summation of that insight, a quick dose of high-octane rock and roll.
Chocked full of classic rock chords and speedway-on-cocaine tempos, the likes
of “Avalanche” and “Vixen” ascend bar-band riffs and ride them until they’ve
lost their punch.
Since the element of
surprise usually topples around the two-and-a-half minute mark, that makes
Grand Prix’s twenty-four minutes a pretty swift kick in the ass. Melodically
“Vixen” has the upper hand on the competition, trading spoken-word swagger and
jangly guitar with a memorably boisterous chorus. While everything preceding
that closing track carries a comparable confidence, tracks such as “Grab Me By
the Lapel” and “The Holy Water” thrash about in a bid to defend vulnerable
centers. By no means are North Lakes trying to dress these songs up; each feels
pretty upfront in their passion for straightforward, drunk-in-the-sun jams but
that’s precisely where this album should remain – in the midst of lost weekends.
North Lakes make
some convincing Can-Con noise with “Hands-Off Director” and “Baptism In
Burgundy”, enough so that I’d feel lame delving into some perceived mastering
flaws because I don’t think fans are going to care. For some, Grand Prix will be lovable as much for its limitations as for its strengths.
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