Canada’s Two Hours Traffic is a wonderful band, who’s albums get better and more sophisticated with each release.This album is a bit more dark and cerebral than the award winning “Little Jabs” but it is still a strong effort. The opening power pop single “Noisemaker” has that sunny bounce with a dose of hard reality. The measured “Wicked Side” sounds a little like fellow Canadian rockers Sloan or The Posies, with it’s handclaps and steady beat. At this point, leader Liam Corcoran can rock like this in his sleep and the fast paced songs like “Territory” and “Painted Halo” are smart catchy pop gems. It’s the slower numbers that dominate this album that make it all the more interesting. “Weightless One” is a solid mid-tempo story of an unfulfilling relationship. The themes of betrayal and disillusionment run through the songs, from the sparse sing along “Lost Boys” to the dark “Monster Closet” with it’s dissonant piano chords and refrain “Baby, beware…” It’s not a happy album but a very satisfying one. I guess this happens when you grow up.
For fans of The Beatles, XTC, and Martin Newell this album will hit your sweet spot. Walsh starts with the wonderfully pastoral “Supersonic Girl” which sounds a little like Tom Petty playing on XTC’s Mummer. The combination of wry metered lyrics and gentle acoustics on “The Rarest Rose” are melodic poetry set to music. My favorite song is “Up To You” with it’s easy going strum and sticky hook in the chorus. Walsh has a Lindsey Buckingham-like quality with all the layered and intricate guitar work, as “Don’t Go Come Back” is a shimmering gem that should be savored. The title track is another quirky Anglophilic melody and the wonderful imagery continues with “Her Devil’s Food.” These tracks have a Beatlesque arrangement in the best sense without sounding at all like Fabs. And although it’s not always so immediate, each track sinks in like quicksand into your brain after a few plays. This album is a winner that should not be missed by anyone.
I checked out THT and like them a lot. Ended up buying 11 songs from 3 albums. Very good stuff, Some of it reminds me of Nada Surf.