Canadian rockers, The Trews, are at it again with their fourth studio album, Hope & Ruin. This isn’t typically what one might associate with Canada: boredom. In fact, this is a really fun album. It’s so striking that these guys are from Canada, nothing against their beloved land of maple syrup, they regularly put out some amazing metal but I typically don’t look to Canada for quality alternative rock. That may be changing however. This is the sort of album that you throw on and even if you’re not quite listening you get sucked into its vibe, whether it’s foot tapping or nodding, this album will make you do something.
Each of the songs on Hope & Ruin breathes well. It’s hard to find a rock band that isn’t horribly derivative or so obsessed with sounding unique that they forget to make music. The Trews have struck a happy medium with their latest offering. Some songs are undeniably unique, yet they still rock out hard enough for you to remember them later, the most memorable, perhaps being “If You Wanna Start Again.” The soloing at the end is heartfelt and gives a distinct sense of what The Trews can do as a whole. This is a good album for anyone who likes rock and wants to diversify their collection through the addition of international acts.
In A Word: Listenable
