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All articles on East Coast Overture are Šopyright East Coast Overture and are owned by the site and the original author unless stated otherwise. All photography on ECO is owned by the original photographer. ECO is not responsible for the contents of any off-site pages or any other sites linked from ECO. Linking to the site or any of its pages is permitted and encouraged. This website does not permit direct linking of images, as that is bandwidth theft. East Coast Overture is not affiliated with any artist, recording label, management company, etc. ECO is an independently-produced project, headed by
Jillianne Hamilton.
The Sidewalks - Better Late Than Never
By Jillianne Hamilton
(09/09/09)
I saw The Sidewalks perform live (for the first time, anyway) at the very beginning of this year. And ever since, I've been looking forward to the release of the Charlottetown band's first CD.
That's the magic of a Sidewalks gig. Their upbeat tunes are just so damn fun. You leave feeling happy. And, simply, in a better mood than you were before you got there.
And now you can take that feeling with you, even after leaving the bar.
Better Late Than Never, which drops this Friday, is chocka-block full of fun anthems, killer guitar riffs and "skalternative" good times. But who could forget the horn section? (That's right. This band has a trumpet and a trombone.) But The Sidewalks blend the horns, guitars and drums so effortlessly, it makes a person wonder why every band doesn't have a split valve or two.
This easy-going ska/rock combo is what makes The Sidewalks easily one of the best new bands coming out of PEI today. The only thing this band could do to impress me further is bring out a full-length album. (I'm talkin' ASAP, boys. Hop to it. Quick like a bunny.)
The 7-track EP is nothing less than superb, although it still doesn't compare with their high energy live performances. The guys have really proved to be great songwriters, lyrically and otherwise.
"Better Late Than Never" is the quintessential let's-hang-out-and-get-drunk song while "Ready, Set, Go" is a throwback to the dirty days when long, unwashed hair was a-okay. (Y'know, the '90s?)
"SOS (From The Burlesque)" is another fun song to get your skank on to. "Guess What" is the band's audience participation song. It's a little ska, a little pop punk and a lot of fun.
Things slow down a bit with "A Better Way". The chilling guitar between choruses is enough to give the listener goosbumps- but in a good way. And the lyrics in this one? Mixed metaphors and old phrases, twisted into a tasty music pretzel.
Ending the album on a high note is the deliciously old-school "On Empty".
Listen to a sample of "Better Late Than Never."
Related links:
+ The Sidewalks (@ ECO)
+ The Sidewalks (website)
+ The Sidewalks (MySpace)
Go back to Reviews.
Go back to Reading Material.
* * * * *
Jillianne Hamilton is a writer, blogger and a lover of indie music, funny movies, artsy things and the color red. She is studying Journalism at
Holland College, had an internship at the
Truro Daily News
and blogs for various college and pop culture websites. To contact Jill, visit her
website.
