The Hundreds and Thousands

Arising from the ashes of Starling, this new Ian LeFeuvre project similarly mines the melodic Brit-rock veins but somehow comes out smelling fresher. As much as everyone can identify the chords and tropes of mainstream pop rock, the truly enjoyable stand out due to their abandon and, as always, luck with writing a solid hook. Well, there's a big ol' Vaudevillian hook in "Parade," with its stuttering hi-hat, LeFeuvre's soaring vocals, frantic pace and oh-so grungy guitar. It's a song that would fit in perfectly soundtracking a playful car chase due to its charming propulsion. Other songs like "Don't Talk to Me" and "Nothing to Say" are radio-friendly tracks that should actually be played on the radio. Just like last year's Expatriate, by the Coast, this is one solid rock record from start to finish that deserves to float above the surface of the usual Can-rock dreck. Let's hope the last part of their name end up listening instead of the former.