We Are The City

First impressions are always tricky anything can affect an initial judgement: the time, the place the mood the tiniest thing can influence the reaction. So it was with this writer’s first encounter with Canadians We Are The City: live they were a confusing clutter of instruments and voices randomly bolted together using the flip of a coin.

Opening track on Violent, Bottom of the Lake has that initial effect: the incessant percussion, the disembodied vocals distract but then the melodies and harmonies come in and its wonderful flowing if slightly discordant experience.

They play about with this template throughout. King David’s rhythms run the roost while interspersed with chunks of guitar and synths. Friends Hurt’s sparse use of synths and vocals gives it an odd playfulness when it doesn’t sound as if it should.

Elsewhere the plaintive 20Ft Up is the closest they come to a traditional structure, though that percussion blunders in nearly ruining the song. The drumming is to the fore throughout the album and even after a few listens as the album becomes more familiar the drums do still intrude. The cinematic, dreamy Baptism is a victim as they just sound lumpen and it’s a relief when the harmonies and synths are free of them.

Overall it not an easy album to warm to but it does grow on you after a while, just give it a second chance.