'HEART' of Alberta Band: THISTLE Launches NEW ALBUM 'Blood and Bone' | Album Review by CA Marshall

By CA Marshall

There something about that local band vibe that always connects me to my Folk Music roots and Alberta, Canada-based band THISTLE appeals to that very nature. I grew up in a home with Musicians for parents, and there was always the sound of an acoustic guitar playing at family holidays, or just because. I believe that THISTLE has this authentic, home-grown, infused Folk Rock sound throughout their new album ‘Blood and Bone’. Wicked guitar riffs throughout and intentionally nostalgic ‘Folk Rock’ lyrics pull this band together as a well-oiled unit.

The first single off the album titled ‘Big Sky Alberta’ is the kind of song you would hear on a warm summers eve at a busy outdoor festival. The guitar riffs in this are incredible and the energy of the song itself elicits that feel-good vibe only Albertans come to know as ‘home’. You don’t have to actually visit Alberta – you just have to listen to this song to know that it’s the happiest place on earth.

Going further into the album, the song ‘When It’s Gone’ catches your breath through heart pounding vocals for a 3 minute and three second whirlwind adventure comparative to something you’d hear The Road Hammers play. Its’ lyrics are fast, fun, and very catchy! Following suit is ‘Cause I Know’, a song about infidelity that is fierce in it’s presentation: this person knows they’ve been lied to and is about to give his ‘sweet angel’ a piece of his mind. Great concept in lyrics, the instrumentation is strong and back up vocals are brilliant on this one.

Transitioning further into the album, ‘Tonight’ is a song rich in Folk Rock sound and is probably one of my personal favorites off this album. Then I heard ‘Field of Heroes’, and my decision on a favorite became tough. ‘Field of Heroes’ is the kind of song that one might have heard at Woodstock 1969. This is a very powerful song that carries the heart-wrenching theme of young men and women (soldiers) ‘laid to rest’ with instrumentation that is supportive in it’s vintage Folk sound.

The sixth track is the albums’ title ‘Blood And Bone’ and is a MUST in terms of radio play. This is a song that needs to be on radio, and soon! I feel that this is a contagious and catchy summer song that listeners will gravitate to quickly. if any DJ’s are reading this now, they must know that I have been reviewing music for several years now and I am seasoned in knowing what listeners want to hear, and this song is it. In fact, one of my first album reviews was of Clayton Bellamy’s album ‘Five Crow Silver’ and this song compares in terms of having what it takes. It’s catchy, quick, and should be listened to at loud decibels. This great track is followed quickly with the song ‘First Bit Of Snow’, a great follow-up to ‘Blood And Bone’ in terms of keeping the vibe going and should follow suit to radio immediately. The beat in this one is what caught my attention right away and if we’re talking about a song that gets a crowd up and dancing, ‘First Bit Of Snow’ is that song.

Rounding up this fabulous set is ‘Last Dance’, a slower paced ballad that winds down the high energy as heard in the previous tracks. While this one isn’t my personal favorite, it is strong in it’s lyrics and instrumentation and is a nice compliment to the rest of this great album. The final song, ‘What Did I Do’ is absolutely brilliant in it’s sound, composition and instrumentation. You know how they always say, save the best for last? Well, that’s just what THISTLE did here. Well done!

This is an album you will want to plug into right away for some great weekend listening! Have a listen below to 'First Bit Of Snow'.

THISTLE is comprised of band members:

Trevor Henson - Bass and Vocals

Steve Findlay - Guitars and Vocals

Jason Frey - Drums

Kevin Frey - Guitar and Vocals

Tania Scott – Vocals

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To connect with the band, check out all their social media platforms below and be sure to hit ‘like’ or ‘follow’ on each!

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Reverbnation

The 1975 | Unforgettable Performance at Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton by AB Marshall (Solace)

By Austen Blake Marshall (Solace)

Photo Credit: Austen Blake Marshall

Photo Edit: CA Marshall
CONDITIONS OF USE: Photos remain ©Starlight Music Chronicles 2016 Strictly no re-use, cropping, editing or publishing without prior written consent. Sharing 'as is' is always welcome:)

English based, Pop/Punk/Rock band ‘The 1975’ brought more than just "Chocolate" to "The City" this time around at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada’s Shaw Conference Centre on Monday, October 24^th, 2016. Followed by an eerie ambiance at the start the show, highlighted by vapour clouds and pink lighting (suggestive to the band's latest album, "I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It"), the band emerged onto the stage to an eager crowd in front of them, ranging anywhere from preteens to senior admirers of their art.

The band first lit up the stage with one of their latest hit singles, "Love Me", delivering an unforgettable performance bringing more fire to a venue that has 'seen it all' in previous years. Speaking of which, The 1975's own Matt Healy, has seen quite a bit himself: having been in and out of numerous bands before finally settling with The 1975, (previously named, "Drive Like I Do", "Bigsleep", "The Slowdown" and other various unique names), he's experimented as a solo artist in the past and had quite significant success on his own. He brings passion for music into his stage performance through both the emotion expressed physically and vocally during live shows and this was very apparent during this show.

Though, Healy isn't the whole show. Drummer- George Daniel, Bassist - Ross MacDonald & Lead Guitarist - Adam Hann formed The 1975 together with Healy in 2004, covering punk-rock and pop songs during their high school tenure before eventually moving on to create their own material; further rising to the level of success they're at today.

The band has performed in prestigious festivals such as Lollapalooza, Coachella & England's own, Leeds Festival. Spreading their name worldwide for hipsters to enjoy.

Their performance at Shaw Conference Centre was their second time in the capital city, as they've also brought their talents to Jasper Avenue's, 'The Starlite Room' three years prior after their breakout debut album, "The 1975". For the Shaw Conference show, fans waited in line for upwards of eight hours to see their beloved British heartthrobs take to the stage. It was the first-time experience for most (The Starlite Room is an 18+ venue), and the band came through delivering an unforgettable musical experience for their fans to remember years to come. Within their target demographic, The 1975 bring more than enough to the table and keeps their pop-punk followers intrigued at all times.

The 1975 continue their world tour for the final leg before heading back to England for a much-deserved break. Until then, Edmonton fans will await the next album and show by this iconic band who know how to make 'their sound' (and mark), just right!