By Alicia Williams (CIVL DJ) – Email
Print Edition: May 23, 2012
Tired of the same old boring, Strokes-inspired garage-rock? Do you like the sounds of Nuggets, but don’t want to get stuck in the “I was born too late/I was born too soon” tune of American Music by the Violent Femmes? Well, well, look no further! You’ve got what you’re looking for and it’s right here in the FVRD.
Elvis Was a Blonde rose from the fiery high school ashes of bands like The WCB (from Canada), Annthronein, A Human Nothing, the Stirs, and, most notably, Women of Britain. Having just released their first EP, Elvis Was a Blonde has been hitting the CIVL airwaves on more shows than just mine and, not to mention, topping the !earshot charts last week in the number one spot.
The EP starts off with the track “Gin,” probably my favourite track. Alex makes his voice sound like a Lux Interior Cramps seizure at some choice spots, which is reason enough for me to enjoy this song. Amanda’s voice comes in to highlight at the perfect time, every time, on this tune and for the whole EP.
“Funeral Jack” starts up next. The beginning of it starts off very slow, making this reviewer ready to call it the weakest track on the self-titled EP. But, this song demonstrates Elvis Was a Blonde’s ability to build up a song and raise it to a climax. The instrumentation here mixed with Alex’s vocals sounds drenched in Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds influence. But then Amanda comes in, her voice floating under Alex’s for most of the song, and then in the last 50 seconds she totally kills it. In this last stretch, Alex may be the one yelling, but Amanda takes over as the more prominent vocalist here.
The third track is “Sunshine Glorious.” It has high points and low points and is probably my least favourite track on the album. When the chorus hits is when the bomb goes off. On this song you can hear the fun they’re having as a band and it’s really cool, you know? The end hits you fast, so be ready.
The very last track on the four song EP is “Walking Wolf.” This song is hit single material. It was their first song release and left the Lower Mainland waiting for more. The guitars ease you into Alex’s vocals, which start off smooth in comparison to the previous three tracks. You can hear the garage-rock influence in his voice and again the song is brought together beautifully by Amanda’s sweet vocals on the chorus. Listen until the end – Elvis Was a Blonde knows how to finish a track, and an album.
Don’t try to hide. Don’t try to run. Track down an Elvis Was a Blonde show and buy a copy of their EP, or buy it on their bandcamp.com page. You’ll like ‘em lots if you like bands like: The Cramps, The Sonics, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Thee Headcoats/ees.
