(In-Fidelity Records/Inertia)

Canadian/Australian collaboration makes good. USA wasn’t invited.

For a band you’ve never heard of, Silica Bliss have a backstory that most musicians (and probably the occasional comic book superhero) would probably kill for. The core of the band, Canadian vocalist Dan Carr began to work with guitarist Steve McGlaughlin in Prague just as the Iron Curtain had lifted in 1991. Busking on streets littered with a population ready to greet the great power of democratic capitalism (they would find out the bad news soon enough), the two travelled the world for many years while being largely ignored in both of their home countries. This says very little about the music, however, except that they’ve had a very long time to polish their vision. And it sounds very European, particularly circa 1991, when the remnants of synth-rock were still lying around the floor and being picked at by the amoebic forms of Britpop. Considering the feminine nature of Carr’s voice (which isn’t an insult, just a statement), I would even go so far as to draw comparisons to … Sleeper? I’m not sure, it all seems so long ago. So far this review isn’t sounding positive (Eurotrash synth-lovin’ Sleeper fans), but overall it’s not bad, if not good. The title track is one of multiple tracks that pull of ‘emotional lighter anthem’ with relative success, while No Time and Last Thought Standing bring the groove to the forefront like a fairly convincing New Order tribute band. And to think, it may never have existed if communism won. But at least we would have an excuse to all wear those cool Castro hats.

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MITCH ALEXANDER

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