Sept 23 2002

_ Over The Edge Page 8

Holly McNarland

Home is where your feet are
Universal 2002

kkk

Holly McNarland came on to
the Canadian music seen
back in 1995 with her inde-
pendent EP “Sour Pie” and the
1997 release of “Stuff”
through Universal. “Stuff” went
platinum rocketing her career
and earning her a Juno for
best new solo artist in 1998.
She then did something that
surprised many people; Holly
took a long break from the
music industry, moving from
Toronto to Vancouver to raise
her child and think about her
work. Fast forward to now.
June 11, 2002 the wait was
over, her new album “home is
where my feet are” was
launched under Universal
records. While this album is

more diverse than here previ-

ous offerings, it is by no
means a departure from her
fan base. The album has some
solid rock tracks such as “Do
you get high’, and also some
haunting lyric driven tracks
such as “beautiful blue.” Like
her previous work, one still
gets the sense that Holly’s
soul and sweat go into every
track (and after having a
chance to hear her live, this
fact is almost inescapable.)
Holly’s: powerful voice and her
challenging and honest lyrics
drive this album and the diver-
sity is refreshing. There is def-
initely elements here that the
“Stuff” fans will eat up, but if
you didn’t like “Stuff” don’t dis-
miss “home is where my feet
are” out of hand, there is some
real music on this album that
could appeal to a diverse
crowd. As a long time Holly
fan | can say this is still Holly,
but it’s not another “Stuff”, her
music has evolved and
matured but in a direction that
will have me buying her next
album, even if it takes another
5 years.

---deAngelo

Treble Charger
Detox
BMG Canada 2002
Kk

Detox, Treble Chargers fifth
album to date, is just one
more reason why the four man
Canadian act is doing so well
these days. With the explosive
first single, “Hundred Million’,
to catch the attention of fans,
this album should do at least
as well as Wide Awake Bored
did last year.

This album switches between
the hard-edged sound heard
in “Hundred Million” and “Can’t

Wake Up”, and a more mellow °

style of ballad that can be
found in tracks such as “Drive”
and “The First Time”. The
album delivers well-executed
guitar hooks, good melodies,
and lyrics that aren’t com-
pletely sappy and idiotic. The

variety of sounds could use a

little work, as some of the
tracks are easily confused
with each other. Fortunately,
the infectious pop-rock sound
of the album neatly balances
any shortcomings. In_ all,
Detox is a fun album to listen
to on a sunny afternoon while
doing homework or driving in
your car, but don’t expect
highly intellectual lyrics, or a
great deal of musical innova-
tion.

-Dana

Informatic

Nymphomatic

Metropolis 2002

kkk

In the oft-maligned Prince
George music scene, there is
no genre more ignored by the
rest than the burgeoning
industrial/goth/EBM scene.
Fortunately for us, this genre
just doesn’t care. The reunited
Informatik, after taking a hia-
tus for David Din’s solo din_fiv
project, have put together a
damn fun electronic body
music album.

They used to have a sound
that was more fitting with pre-
"Facer” X-Marks the Pedwalk,
LeEther Strip, Skinny Puppy,
and practically any other EBM
band with distorted vocals and
minimalist EBM _ stylings.
However, Dadid Din and Tyler
Newman have decided to
jump on the so-called “future-
pop” bandwagon, but this
release is, thankfully, so much
more than that. Think
Assemblage 23, And One,
and Evils Toy (XTC Implant
era), all rolled into one, with a
twist.

The lyrics are pretty good, too.
Informatik seemingly have

learned how to write cool

lyrics about sex, and love lost
and found.

All in all, | would say that
although you wont probably
hear your local DJ play the
crap out of Nymphomatik,
Informatik have made a CD
that is generally pleasing to
listen to elsewhere. The
Negative Format and
Stromkern remixes at the end
are nice treats as well.

---Mike

ESTEREGPHOMAC |

NATHAN WiLEy

Nathan Wiley
Bottom Dollar

Sonic Records/Warner
Music Canada 2002

kkk

Nathan Wiley, Prince Edward
Island’s newest musical talent
has shocked people across
the country. The twenty-five
year old wrote and produced
the entire album on a arts
grant. He has come a long
way from that, though, in a
very short period of time. He’s
opening for Sarah Harmer’s
Canadian tour now.

His debut album, ‘Bottom
Dollar’, has a rootsy, alterna-
tive, folk sound and has been
highly acclaimed. The album
has already granted him one
of the 25 finalists positions out
of 4000 in the “Great
Canadian Music Dream” con-
test.

The album has a low-key
sound, fueled by mellow
sounding electric and acoustic
guitars. Wiley’s melancholic
voice, mixed with his talent
and with a variety of instru-
ments used leaves a startling
album in its’ integrity. Though