Contrived

Though Canada's East coast has long been known for sugary, Beatles-influenced indie rock, it seems a new movement of cleverly aggressive hardcore bands is afoot. Like North of America and the Plan before them, Contrived opts for time-signature trickery and sporadic yells as an alternative to their homeland's obsession with two-chord progressions and cliché harmonies. And it seems that the members of the band aren't the only one's getting restless out East. The group has made huge strides in Halifax and its surrounding areas, with almost every local show packed with a fast-growing legion of new found fans. But it would be too easy to chalk Contrived's success up to bored small-towners, and Pursuit of Plots proves that any accolades they receive are well deserved. The rest of the country will presumably catch on soon enough, because the East coast won't be able to keep a secret this good for too much longer.