Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray (of Earlimart) together with Jason Lytle and Aaron Burtch (Grandaddy) have got together under the moniker Admiral Radley. It’s hard not to feel sunny when Admiral Radley proclaims their love in phrases like “I’m citrus in summertime / You’re haggis and cider,” on the title track, but it’s just as hard not to feel the awkwardness of the oddly placed, whispered ‘yeah’s. This is how it goes for the rest of the album: What are decent guitar-driven pop/rock songs full of solid drums and clear piano are often gussied up with unwarranted effects or too much care to be completely effective or even memorable. The good points: “Sunburn Kids” is a sunny, head-bopping track; “Lonesome Co.” and “Ghost of Syllables” have good composition backed with pleasant instruments passing by in the background; and Murray’s voice stands out on the very pretty “The Thread,” which sounds like the actual music that ballerina on your sister’s music box dancer dances to. It’s gentle, paced, piano-based, and tells a story of two young people thinking about growing old side by side. On the next few tracks things speed up again – or at least they sound like they do, until a minute in, when you realise things are going to stay at the same emotional level for a while. There are great guitars and stirring bass, but there’s no musical revelation, no emotional current in the wires. “I’m All Fucked on Beer” is an obnoxious and fuzzy 4 minutes of frat-house noise and gratuitous nasal vocals. I Heart California has some great moments, but Admiral Radley makes it too easy to feel indifferent about the vast majority of the record. (The Ship, www.the-ship.com) Adrienne Yeung
Winnipeg music & culture since 1989