First off, I’d like to say I partied with these guys and let them crash on my floor a few years back, and it was a blast. These are some of the friendliest dudes I’ve met in the music industry, and they know how to have a good time.This album is one of the best pop rock records I’ve heard in a long time. Admittedly, I’m not a band encyclopedia of Canada’s indie scene, but the melodies on this record stand out clear and strong.
Right from the get go this album makes a statement. “My Girl” is a fluid pop masterpiece that will remind you of the bounty and hope that young love has to offer. Not that we are all searching, but Yukon Blonde will encourage you to. The album then transitions into “Radio” – a song with a heavy Cars influence – and then into “Stairway,” a rock anthem whose lyrics send both a message of desperation and hope, perhaps reflecting the band’s touring lifestyle. There are some lulls at the midpoint, but overall the melodies remain distinctive and the arrangements solid. It takes a rare breed of musician to produce songs that take you back in time, and to the future. It sounds like they are capable of doing just that. (Dine Alone Records, dinealonerecords.com) Matt Austman