story by Cliff Berru
photo by Davida Nemeroff
Over the past few years, the underground music scene has been showered
with amazing talent from Canada, our friendly neighbors to the north.
It's the same country that offers Constellation Records and all of
its obscurity, along with several of Ninja Tune's beat savvy perfectionists.
On the other hand, rock music is no stranger to Canadian bands like
Broken Social Scene and Tegan and Sara, along with their affectionate
pop sensibilities. But if you really want to rock out with some of
the best that Canada has to offer these days, I suggest dipping your
ear into the enduring rock fusions of The Constantines.
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LAMBKE'S INNER VIEW
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"The new songs will sound like the
guys from Fugazi singing for the E Street band."
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The Constantines re-released their debut album on Sub Pop just this
past August, which happens to be their second proper full length as
a band since its conception in 1999. The debut record is full of variety
and depth in vocal interpretation while "the songs are about
in how you take it," commented Constantines' guitarist and sometimes
vocalist Steve Lambke from the office of their Canadian label, Three
Gut Records - home to the debut record first released in 2001, which
at the time was only available in Canada.
The Constantines are known for possessing a roots-rock sound credited
to vocalist/guitarist Bry Webb and his destructive lacerations on
each individual vocal note-full of passion. It's a unique vocal approach
that at times has been characterized as sounding like "Bruce
Springsteen fronting Fugazi" - a somewhat justifiable interpretation
of the first record, and "as a comparison in and of itself I
don't mind hearing [it]….but it does get a little old hearing
the same things over and over," commented Lambke. Maybe, as Lambke
sarcastically suggests, "the new songs will sound like the guys
from Fugazi singing for the E Street band."
The Constantines' somewhat Bourbon-rock hum sounds almost too Southern
at times to be Canadian, but then again that's one writer's opinion
and as always music is well up for interpretation. The Constantines'
sound is displayed on a platter; nothing is hidden or too surreal
for understanding. It is very real music, with very real and unintentional
direction. In a broader sense however, the music is full of strength
and very precise, and now even more vibrant with the addition of Will
Kidman on the keys - who, as Lambke suggests, is also "the best
guitarist in the band."
Success is not foreign to this ambitious rock quintet - something
that should have been obvious with the first pressing of their debut
release. After dominating the Canadian college radio charts, signing
with Sub Pop, being nominated for a Juno award in Canada, and exploding
onto the live music circuit, one would only hope that Webb has enough
passion and drive to push these Canucks nearly as far as The Boss
has.
The Constantines :: Empty Bottle :: January 15.
Listen to an mp3 of The Constantines' "Arizona," courtesy
of Better
Propaganda.