Shawn Bergen gets my respect. On the follow up album to 2007’s Come On EP, Bergen wrote every song, played almost every instrument, sang on every track and produced, mixed and recorded the album himself. New is the New Old features ten tracks, all firmly rooted in the alternative rock sound, and all of them ready for airplay on the radio. Despite the DIY spirit that is present on the album, I found that I was unable to really get into New is the New Old. Even though there are a couple of standout tracks on the album, such as “Avatars” and “It’s All True (Except the Facts),” the album just did not excite me at all. It felt too formulaic, like I had heard this all before. As I said earlier, I respect Bergen for his work on the album, and he can write some decent music. His album just is not for me. (Independent, www.myspace.com/idgets) Charles Lefebvre
Winnipeg music & culture since 1989