“new_grand”
The New Grand
Incognito
Sonic Unyon
Why is it that the first song on a disc is nearly always the most memorable? What is happening in Canada to produce crafty pop like this in such large and consistently good quantities? You don’t have to know the answers to these questions to enjoy the symptoms, namely bands like Sloan, Pluto, the Superfriendz (R.I.P.), and the New Grand, whose opening track “A Flair For Sex” is about as close to a pop-perfect gem as it gets, packing enough hooks for a deep-fishing excursion in its scant two minutes and nineteen seconds.
Incognito is a remarkably solid collection of songs featuring sharp melodies, plaintive vocals and well-placed harmonies. Though the New Grand stay on well-explored territory of guitars/drums/bass, they still manage to find unexplored corners and interesting perspectives, with an unusual Pixies guitar influence (or maybe it’s just me). If you’re easily charmed by happy pop tuneage – think Fastball – then it’s worth your while to investigate this. Sonic Unyon Records, P.O. Box 57347, Jacson Statuibm Haamilton, ON Canada L8P 4X2; http://www.sonicunyon.com
