Well, forgive this old country boy for what he i about to write. It’s true. This is my first review of a non-country band. Obviously, I dressed for the occasion at Edmonton’s Mercury Room. My first visit. Jeans, trucker style ball cap, cowboy boots and a plaid shirt. That should have me standing out in the crowd, never mind that I am in the 55 plus category for every survey that I do. Yep, I will stand out. Not so, said the crowd. Plaid was abundant. The age range was from the very
young to some that were my contemporaries. Now, I was not that noticeable, let’s see how that would change when the music started.
The following is right off their Bandcamp page. “The New Haunts are an unconventional mix of guitar riffs, ambient textures, catchy vocals, and detailed drumming. Their efforts produce music that is truly original, combining influences from each member’s eclectic tastes and musicality’s. The music is honest and inventive, and attempts to connect with the listener on a thoughtful and emotional level.”
All of the above is true, though as a country guy I will defer the thoughtful and emotional level to the nearly 100 people in the room, here by Friday night ventures rather than appointment. I arrived just before the slated door time of 8pm, the band and the other band were still going through sound check until nearly 845, through no fault of their own. Sound guy Gerry Bradley was called in last minute to fill in for a kidney stone issue.
Band members Rory Brown (vocals/guitar), Aaron Sabourin (guitar/vocals), Bruce Pelland (bass/vocals) and Bill George (drums/Stew Kirkwood did drums on the disc) took the stage to a crowd that knew who they were and why they were there. The eight song CD was covered in it’s entirety on stage, as it should be at a release. Add two additional original tunes, Zebra and Studies, plus the encore, Style by Taylor Swift (an odd choice by my thinking but creative to leave the genre) and you have The News Haunts for the night.
Regardless of the genre, comparing a live show and a disc are two different animals. Kind of like my country and the Haunts “unconventional mix”. The live show had the energy you would expect from a rock band, opener or headliner.
The New Haunts CD Release
www.edmontonmuse.ca