International Falls

Achievement

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Sep 4, 2007

International Falls make pop look easy. From one chord to another, they effortlessly deliver song after song of pure power pop goodness, complete with hooks, harmonies and a whole lot of punches. Or at least they do on their sophomore album, Achievement. Hailing from Vancouver’s neighbouring community of Langley, this tight-knit pop unit come courtesy of songwriter Jay Arner, who, along with some members of No Gold/Yukon and the Poison Dart, recorded this album in the band’s farmhouse studio. With a warm analog sound, International Falls keep the guitars crisp, the drums punchy and the reverb just right, turning tracks like "On a Perch” and "Aimlessness” into catchier-than-thou pop songs often reminiscent of those that exploded from Halifax during the mid-’90s. At times, these straight-and-narrow leanings also give way to more experimental structures, such as the synth-heavy "Build a Building” and the fuzzed-out rock chaos of "Harmony.” When Achievement does finally spin to a stop, the only difficulty is understanding why an album this strong has no label backing it.
(Independent)

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