Another Blue Door

Racing out of the ’Shwa (Oshawa, Ontario to those in the know), Another Blue Door has incorporated members from the Carnations and All Systems Go to make up their current five-piece formation, but the brain trust seems to be Dave Schoonderbeek, who wrote all the songs on this assured, delightfully messy debut. The first track, "Nova Scotia,” is the resident epic on this album, and with crashing guitars and creeping tempo, it’s probably the best example of their shoegazer past. If there was a sure-fire first single, it would have to be the anthem "American Guitars,” but the true indie rock classic has to be "How’re Things?” The album then closes with yet another shoegazer homage of clashing, grinding guitars in "Ithaca, N.Y.” Another Blue Door messes around with a variety of styles, never sticking too close to one, as they move from Calexico-esque pedal steel atmospherics to classic rock guitar solos to confidant discordant pop. The constant mucking about with styles takes away from a cohesive overall sound, and Schoonderbeek’s vocals range from a strained Robert Smith to Joel Plaskett talk, but Haulers ultimately succeeds with its earnest, lo-fi elements charming the pants off of anyone.