This sophomore release from Kingston, Ontario’s PS I Love You really snuck up and sucker punched me good. For some reason that is lost to me at this point, I didn’t really give their first release a chance. Rook move, I know.
Death Dreams has been the most played album I’ve happened upon all year. With catchy riffs, haunting vocal melodies, and soaring guitar solos, the album is solid start to finish. No single tracks stick out particularly, as they all seem to fit in as part of an organic whole. Having said that, a couple lyrics from “Sentimental Dishes” find themselves stuck in my head regularly. “Saskatoon” is the second ode to the beautiful prairie town that I’ve heard so far this year (Eamon McGrath’s “Saskatoon, SK” being the first), and that’s pretty dang cool. Listening to this album as much as I have, I wish I had a time machine so I could go back a couple years and kick my own ass for not jumping on PS I Love You’s wagon earlier, and as a result missing a couple good gigs of theirs in the process. Pick up this album if you haven’t already, and crank it up loud. (Paper Bag Records, paperbagrecords.com) Sheldon Birnie