The Projectors - Modern Fiction

 

I am absolutely delighted to tell you that The Projectors are back. The Canadian five piece caught me by surprise in 2023 when their debut album reached my ears. It was beloved on here and appeared in our Best 100 Albums Of 2023. You can read my review here.

The follow up is every bit as good, if not better, this is Indie tinted Power Pop at its very best. At times that great influx of bands that came through so long ago, such as The Futureheads and Field Music. There's even a little Strokes feel vocally, but the songs are much bigger sounding and far less repetitive.

They are wonderfully angular, but the rhythm section and the twin Guitars don't allow them to be as basic as that type of stuff can be. The sound is massive and that allows the riffs to hit home and completely grip you. This is full of killer choruses throughout.

To think that I was concerned that they could never hit the heights of that self titled debut. How stupid was I? These 9 songs are totally celebratory and anthemic at times. A little less Pop Rock than the debut, but much more upfront. A little more UK New Wave maybe.

You'll be singing out the choruses loudly. I deliberately haven't mentioned the songs so that you go and listen to the whole thing. I know you'll love it. Wonderfully performed, arranged and produced, Modern Fiction is Album Of The Year Material. I've picked my favourite three songs today, but that will probably change tomorrow.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It cries out for a Physical release.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2023 : 31 - 40

 

For the last few years We have compiled annual Best Of 's because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. 

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The countdown is posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, a song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album

31 The Foreign Films - Magic Shadows      IDHAS Review

32 Blueburst - Significance       IDHAS Review

33 Dolph Chaney - Mug       IDHAS Review

34 Somerdale - Let's Get Started       IDHAS Review

35 The Projectors - The Projectors      IDHAS Review

36 The Midnight Callers - Rattled Humming Heart       IDHAS Review

37 True Stars - True Stars       IDHAS Review

38 Local Drags - Mess Of Everything      IDHAS Review

39 Real Tears - Whipped Dreams      IDHAS Review

40 The Reverberations - Half Remembered Dreams      IDHAS Review

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The Projectors - The Projectors

 

We head back to Victoria in British Columbia, a place that seems to continually introduce great bands. The Projectors are a five piece and offer up a splendid 7 track Pop Rock affair that is incredibly melodic and unafraid to cross the genres whilst always remaining on point.

Congratulations has a real feel of The Strokes, a poppy version maybe and certainly a less repetitive one. Indeed. there are even hints of Franz Ferdinand. Lost In Space heads even further into that angular FF scene with its angular guitar and driven Bass. There is the added joy of a killer riff that closes the song.

Slow It Down is built around a groove with the rhythm section in complete sync that borders on Funk.  Tired of The Small Talk has a Talking Heads feel instrumentally, but the Guitar sound is half Glam Rock and half Adrian Belew. 

When The Lights Came up is another song built on the two very different riffs of guitarists, Robbie Shirriff and Layten Kramer, very Post Punk, but also Angular Indie Rock. Valentine sounds as though it has been recorded in Bowie's Berlin instrumentally, yet maintains an IRS version of New Wave.

Concessions sounds the loosest song here, you notice it more because the rest of the album is incredibly focussed. It is another splendid vocal from Dylan Rysstad who is also the songwriter and these are not ten a penny throwaway tunes.

This is a real Indie Pop Rock joy. The big take is how important a rhythm section is to the sound of a band. Drummer Justin Dauphinee holds everything together, whilst the Bass Player Ryan Newman is an absolute killer. His Basslines are akin to the likes of Colin Moulding and is exceptional. This is a wonderful album, proving that Indie doesn't have to be heads down, it can also be intelligent.

The album was originally released in April 2022, but this remaster sound wise is the bees knees and was released last Friday. You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on CD for only 10 Canadian Dollars and the download is a bargain at 2.99 Canadian Dollars.

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