Arkells – Jackson Square (2008)

Holy shit. I just re-listened to this album and I have to say it is phenomenal. It’s so surprising how good this band is considering they are getting no airplay on the radios. Review follows:

It’s hard to listen to Arkells without thinking about a beer commercial (Molson in particular), at first it sounds like pretty typical bar rock. It starts off with a couple working class anthems, culminating in the single Oh, The Boss is Coming! Totally catchy tunes. But its from the 4th song on that the album really starts to shine. The band’s not afraid to be creative and you really hear it in The Choir, dude kills it right at the end. They have this brash attitude in their songs that’s uniquely Canadian, it’s a brashness that’s not conceited and it’s totally charming.

You can hear influences from Danko Jones, Joel Plaskett Emergency, and Sloan making them almost stereotypical in their maple leaf waving sound but they break through that stereotype and make some of the best hard rock I’ve heard in a while.

Album edits: none, tight as is

Album art