Hello reader,
Welcome back. How are you today?
Ready to explore a band and album? We’re going to delve into the Canadian band, Arkells. The alt-rock band was formed in the large city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in 2006, when the city had just over 500,000 residents. Now the city has over 560,000 inhabitants per the 2021 Canadian census, and Arkells have been nominated for 15 prestigious JUNO Awards and counting, winning for Group of the Year a record six times, including three consecutive wins, winning twice for Album of the Year for High Noon (2014) and Rally Cry (2018) and for New Group of the Year at the 2010 Canadian Grammys. The band has earned one hell of a reputation and respect within Canada and, to a lesser degree, outside of it.
Their YouTube bio sheds light on the band’s mindset, “Whether they’re rocking stadiums, making a beeline for the discotheque, or gathering around the campfire, the implicit message of Arkells is always the same: everyone is welcome here. Since the beginning, Arkells have never wavered in their mission to be the house band that soundtracks the greatest nights of your life. The band’s longevity is ultimately a function of their commitment to never coasting on past glories and to always live completely in the moment. Even through their impressive history together, Arkells still approach every gig as an opportunity to prove themselves to the unconverted; as they’re fond of saying, each time they take the stage, ‘we understand the assignment.’ The first rule of rock ‘n’ roll is to play every show like it’s your last—but as Arkells prove night after night, it’s just as important to hold onto the unbridled energy and enthusiasm of your first.” Amen.
How’d they settle on the band name? They met while attending McMaster University and practiced on Arkell Street, near campus. The band’s has released nine full-length albums, starting with Jackson Square (2008), followed by Michigan Left (2011), High Noon (2014), Morning Report (2016), Rally Cry (2018), Blink Once (2021), Blink Twice (2022), Laundry Pile (2023) and Disco Loadout, Volume 1 (2024). The current band lineup features four of the five original founding members: Max Kerman (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), Mike DeAngelis (lead guitar, backing vocals), Nick Dika (bass, keyboards), Tim Oxford (drums, percussion), and, since 2011, Anthony Carone (keyboards, rhythm guitar, mandolin, backing vocals). The fifth original Arkell, Dan Griffin (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals from 2006–2011), left the band to attend school. More musicians have joined the band when on tour as backing vocalists and often play brass family instruments.
And on Friday, April 17th, for your listening pleasure, comes the band’s newest album, Between Us, which is out via Universal Music Canada/Virgin Music Group. The 11-song album features collaborations with groups Portugal. The Man, GROUPLOVE, and Poolside. The album was produced in LA with Grammy Award winner John Congleton (St. Vincent, Death Cab for Cutie).
And now for some hype for your eyes and ears via the band’s YouTube channel:
The album’s opening song, “Next Summer,” is performed by the band in a video that features a practice space:
(All credits and rights to Arkells)
Silhouettes and strong melodic vibes abound in the video for “What Good?”:
(All credits and rights to Arkells)
The video for the song “Money (ft. Portugal. The Man)”:
(All credits and rights to Arkells and Portugal.The Man)
Overall, Between Us is another good album to add to the Arkells discography. I think it fits in well amongst some of their better releases and gives their audience what they have come to expect from the band, in good ways, in their nearly twenty years of released music. There are overlapping themes of upbeat melodies and reflective lyrics that ponder many questions in a what/why/how/if format. The answers sought in realistic, modern scenarios. The album is not meant to be a philosophical experiment as some art and media is, and of course, we love and consume that too. Rather, this album remains grounded in the present while offering much-needed entertainment for its listeners. Entertainment is a keyword here that I think holds true from start to finish. Within the album, the band remains tight-knit, and the melodies and instrumentation shine throughout. The collaborations all work well, with each artist adding depth to the songs they are featured on. I think the resulting collaborative tracks retain a foundation of Arkells songs.
The album kicks off with “Next Summer,” which opens with a catchy piano tune, establishing an upbeat melody that is soon followed by impassioned vocals from Max Kerman, inquisitive and reflective lyrics, rocksteady drumming from Tim Oxford, and harmonies. The next song, “What Good?”, increases the tempo, with the bpm rising quite a bit. The song quickly becomes communal, featuring hand claps, harmonies, stomps, and more. If you’re not on board by now, you will be within the next few songs, guaranteed. I think it’s near impossible not to groove to the beats and sing the choruses by, say, the album’s fifth song, “Imagine Barcelona”. The pace of the vocal delivery on that song, coupled with its melodic styling and instrumentation, is a major reason it’s perhaps my favorite on the entire album.
The midpoint of the album, “Desires Got Some Questions,” sees a melodic shift, the tempo slows considerably to a near standstill, to start to allow Kerman’s piano and vocals to stand out. As a listener, it’s difficult not to love this moment. I’m sure long-time Arkells fans are cherishing the slower piano song moment they’ve come to expect over the years. The percussion by Oxford gets ample time to shine during “Universe Talking,” followed by some great group harmonies and lead vocals, which transition into the next song, “Two Hearts,” led by striking, steady drumwork on the kit. “What’s On Your Mind (ft. Poolside)” really gets us into a dance club beat in the best ways. The groove is on. Some synth and female vocals also make an appearance. Which contrasted with Kerman’s sound fantastic together, to me. While listening to the second from the last song on the album, “Rumour” I feel this song puts everything previously together, wraps a bow on it. There’s a great melody, vocals, and pacing, and Nick Dika gets to add his stamp to the song via a fabulous bass groove. Lead guitarist Mike DeAngelis also gets a few notes to stand out within the melody to “Rumour” as well. The closing song, “Escape Door,” is ghastly at times, with eerie, ethereal synth that contrasts with piano, guitar, and a bass riff, and Kerman’s vocals as the song fades away to a close.
Between Us gets 4 out of 5 Scum Drops from me relative to all new releases this year. If you’re new to our reviews, welcome. Our rating system is simple and explained here. I think long-time Arkells fans will like this solid album, and it will also bring in new listeners. There’s a lot to like about the release. It might be your favorite album this year, but it might not. It is still worth listening to, as the album explores, entertains, questions, and offers many moments of glee. I think it’s a great dance party album, in the living room of your choice. And live on their tour. Add the album to your playlists. And add Between Us to your collection on the formats of your choosing.
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. The listening process with Between Us will take just 40 minutes from start to finish, and less than an hour and a half if you listen twice back-to-back. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After several listens, I found the songs highlighted in green below to be my favorites on this album.
The tracklist for Between Us [song length]
- Next Summer [3:29]
- What Good? [2:59]
- Ride (ft. GROUPLOVE) [3:22]
- Money (ft. Portugal. The Man) [3:32]
- Imagine Barcelona [3:57]
- Desire’s Got Some Questions [3:35]
- Universe Talking [4:15]
- Two Hearts [4:13]
- What’s On Your Mind (ft. Poolside) [3:32]
- Rumour [3:17]
- Escape Door [4:05]
Total runtime: 40:06
Like what you heard? Find more music and information about Arkells on their site, see their upcoming tour dates, and visit their Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music pages. And their YouTube channel. Follow their socials: Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you for reading and continuing to support good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
