Summer Lad

These Calgarians are bold enough to include a manifesto to accompany their six-song disc. Revolutionary in nature, aimed at the conformity and banality that has griped the indie/punk community since the post-Nirvana years, when the behemoths dropped some shiny pennies in front of musicians who promptly dropped their pants. So you want to be a revolutionary? Nothing wrong with that. Musically, the Summer Lad start off with Aminiature/Hoover-ish '90s rock and finish with the Talk Talk nod in "In Dritten Marsk." More than capable playing and interesting enough tunes, though lacking the gut-wrenching paint-thinning power of such masters of the genre as Drive Like Jehu. Despite its good intentions, I can't seem to get past the manifesto. A cursory glance at the advertisers in this publication would indicate a vested interest in the continuation of the status quo. The band is doing nothing new with the form, the packaging or the art. Revolutions begin at home.