Reviews

I always love sophomore albums because it’s the real test to see if a band just had beginner’s luck or if they’re really something special. This is the second time around for South Dakota’s The Spill Canvas, lead by Nick Thomas.  Thomas and his band have delivered a record that stands and delivers. In thirteen songs, the band matches their previous album in integrity and surpasses it in technicality.  With their choppy rock tunes along the lines of Mogwai, Copeland and Saves The Day, Thomas and company are a real treat for the ears as they explore new sound waves and share some meaningful poetry as well.  
 
What I like most about this band is they aren’t just another SoCal prodigy or a bunch of heartbroken teenagers from New Jersey. They come from South Dakota! I know location means nothing, or at least it shouldn’t, but it’s at least pretty neat that they’re putting the “SD” on the map. Anyway, Nick Thomas’ vocals are extremely brazen in every song on this record. He was born to sing, and playing instruments is just something that helps him out. I’m pretty sure that if he wanted to make an album entirely a capella, people would listen to it and perhaps be touched by it.  In “Polygraph. Right Now,” the instrumentals feature an upbeat tempo complimented by some catchy angst regarding a not-so-nice young lady salting Thomas’ wounds.  Yeah okay, so everyone’s sick of hearing about someone else’s broken heart but musicians will always be singing about it as long as there are still hearts out there to break.  “The Dutch Courage” touches upon alcoholism and cowardice with lyrics like “You are careening shamelessly into oblivion where you will live alone with your chemicals and gin” and “Being a coward is not a legitimate career.”  The standout track for me is the last one, an acoustic ballad called “Self-Conclusion.” Thomas’ is at his career best in these few minutes of music.
 
In my own conclusion, I’ve decided that this is a good album, which is refreshing because there’s been a lot of proverbial crap coming out lately.  If you want to call this “emo,” go ahead but I think that’s a ridiculous label, as I always have because isn’t all music derived from emotion, making “emo” apply to all music made by anyone ever in the history of music?  Newsflash: Beethoven is EMO! Anyway, “One Fell Swoop,” beats the hell out of the sophomore slump, and will be a nice addition to the collection of any fan of Mogwai, Kevin Devine, The Weakerthans or Onelinedrawing.