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| Sam
Roberts, Chemical City |
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| REVIEWED
BY JASON GLADU, POSTED ON APRIL 17, 2006 |
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After walking
away with three Juno Awards for his 2003 sophomore release We
Were Born in a Flame, the Sam Roberts Band took off for sunny-day
Australia to collaborate on his third disc, Chemical City.
In between surfing sessions, the band couldn't help but be influenced
by their immediate, wide-open surroundings. Tracks like first
single "The Gate," the psychedelic "Mind Flood,"
and "With A Bullet" all have a very loose, earthy, live
sound to them. This jam-band vibe is even more effective in their
use of keyboards, which helps facilitate and manipulate the feel
and tempo of the entire album. Thankfully, Roberts and co. returned
to Montreal to finish and piece together their musical ideas,
which probably helped make Chemical City a more consistent
rock record. Although fans that enjoyed the poppier sides of Roberts
(as in "Brother Down" or "Don't Walk Away Eileen")
will not find immediate satisfaction in Roberts’ latest
album — but with more than a few listens Chemical City will
reveal a deep collection of melodic rock jams, which strangely
ends with the bleak piano ballad "A Stone Would Cry Out."
(Universal Music Canada)  |
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