THE STRUMBELLAS: Rattlesnake (POP): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Many bands have had at some point in their careers a title that has made a difference. Very few have managed to repeat this feat. After a hit, the question then arises as to how to do something afterwards to concentrate again and not let yourself be overwhelmed by this recognition. This is the question that certainly came to the mind of the Canadian band The Strumbellas when it came to the composition of "Rattlesnake" after the hit "Spirits' released on the previous album "Hope" in 2016

Since its inception, the band has offered a clever mix of folk, rock and country music that smells of Canada's great outdoors - what could be more natural for a band formed in Neil Young's hometown? In other words, with this new album, The Strumbellas opens up to other more pop horizons that will brighten the atmosphere compared to the previous more melancholic albums. This is confirmed from the beginning with "Salvation" with its totally addictive melody like its chorus which still keeps a country anchorage with its accompaniment on the acoustic guitar. The Canadians thus densify their music thanks to the many shimmering keyboards (David Ritter) which literally carry certain pieces like "I'll Wait" magnified by the choral chorus and the intervention of a mutinous violin.

Even if the band opens its field of possibilities, it does not forget the fan of the first day who happily rediscovers the natural atmospheres of the band with this country rock spirit that enamels "One Hand Up". This album is a medicine against sadness and makes you happy. It must be said that Simon Ward sings with conviction and is followed by the other five members of the group which gives a beautiful impression of cohesion, manifested in the playful "Running Scared (Desert Song)" with a well thought-out balance where each of the musicians can express themselves in only four minutes. The title contains some small copper and string notes that add to this feeling that the members are happy to be together.

However, "The Rattlesnake" is not only a joy, it is also nuanced with the pretty melancholy of songs such as "We Were Young", which takes a retrospective look back on a forty-year-old's life and nostalgia for childhood, or "The Party", one of the album's highlights with its beautiful acoustic melody and choirs that bring a lot of relief.

In the end, we won't know yet if one of the tracks on the album will have the same public success as 'Spirits' but we can already say that "Rattlesnake" is a little jewel of rock, folk, country and pop with unstoppable, precise, well written and interpreted melodies, addictive and of an almost candid freshness. Feel free to be bitten by this rattlesnake whose musical venom will never stop intoxicating you. - Official website

THE STRUMBELLAS

RATTLESNAKE

AUTRE LABEL

POP