Miniatures

If pop history is any indication, an early '90s indie rock resurrection should be right around the corner. Kitchener's the Miniatures were actually there the first time around, even though they were all way underage to be in the bars they were playing. Yet, through sheer perseverance, the sextet has absorbed its Pavement, Pixies and Flaming Lips influences until what has emerged is their full-length debut, an album that might have been lost ten years ago, but for the exact same reasons sounds more vital today. Front man Ian Smith is a fluid guitarist in the J Mascis mould, possessing a canny melodic sense that belies his age. The band's wide sonic palette - which includes full-time keyboards and extra percussion - only adds to the mix as well, providing an old-school pop grandeur on songs like "Through The Specs" and "Big Speech" that many bands today hardly approach. I would nominate the Miniatures as the best undiscovered band in Canada any day, and Ian Smith as one of the most promising figures in the next generation of Canadian rock.