Happy Medium

New Brunswick might not be the province that jumps to mind when it comes to a prolific music scene, but in the past few years Saint John has had a flourishing scene that belies the city's size. At the front of that scene since their formation in 1998 has been Happy Medium, a five-piece band that takes pride in their no-nonsense guitar rock being untainted by any current fashions. Simplicity is the band's strongest asset because it makes their music accessible and gives it immediacy. Their sound is big, with powerful guitars and a strong vocal presence, in the vein of Coldplay, but with geography being against them that comparison will probably never be made again. The only real problem is that the band lacks that certain something to elevate them to the next level. There's not really one song that stands head and shoulders above the rest, and while you'll be impressed by their consistency, you'll be upset at how quickly you forget it all after it stops playing. Happy Medium has the potential to flirt with greatness; let the courtship begin