Independent Toronto-based band Entire Cities shows real songwriting strength on Rock Chapel, a raw sounding production that carries itself like a succession of diary entries. It's an honest and human EP that acts as a celebration — the lyrics range from the hilarious to the tragic and are effortlessly endearing.
Opener "Real Teen Witches" draws the listener into a world of joyous poetic chaos — "Witches are real, they come to my school and smoke with me… sometimes" — and while the production of the vocals means they don't always hit as forcefully as the instrumentals, it's that organic, ramshackle element that makes the EP so charming. "Owen Sounds" shows the group's harmonizing strengths, combining the angsty elements of punk, '90s indie rock and alt-country. From "Call the Cops" to "Secret Smoker," Entire Cities use banjo, slide guitar and even the flute to create a joyous sound that partners with musings of playful mistakes and memories, as they confront themes of like loss, running away, grieving and lashing out.
Described as a Canadian indie art party, Entire Cities explode with optimism and humour while confronting life's ugliness head-on. The group close with the morbid but cute "Shopping for Caskets at Honest Ed's," an appropriate choice given the name Rock Chapel is also the name of singer Simon Borer's family cemetery.
(Independent)Opener "Real Teen Witches" draws the listener into a world of joyous poetic chaos — "Witches are real, they come to my school and smoke with me… sometimes" — and while the production of the vocals means they don't always hit as forcefully as the instrumentals, it's that organic, ramshackle element that makes the EP so charming. "Owen Sounds" shows the group's harmonizing strengths, combining the angsty elements of punk, '90s indie rock and alt-country. From "Call the Cops" to "Secret Smoker," Entire Cities use banjo, slide guitar and even the flute to create a joyous sound that partners with musings of playful mistakes and memories, as they confront themes of like loss, running away, grieving and lashing out.
Described as a Canadian indie art party, Entire Cities explode with optimism and humour while confronting life's ugliness head-on. The group close with the morbid but cute "Shopping for Caskets at Honest Ed's," an appropriate choice given the name Rock Chapel is also the name of singer Simon Borer's family cemetery.