Press & Reviews
Fazer Magazine Review of ‘Fell Like Bricks’
Fazer Magazine (www.fazermagazine.com)
The Stormalongs – Fell Like Bricks CD Review
by Aaron Binder (Oct.25/09)
“Hey man, we’ve got some kegs down at the beach-house, we’ve got a live band and our incredibly youthful naiveté, plus, Kelsey is going to be there, you should come out.”
“Kelsey is gonna be there?”
“Yeah, and there’s this sweet band called The Stormalongs.”
“Kelsey?”
“Yeah…and The Stormalongs.”
“Wow man…this is gonna be the greatest night, Kelsey AND The Stormalongs. Woah”
That’s exactly how it feels, the sound, the attitude and the lyrics all feel like a trip back to your teen years, and don’t even come close to considering that a criticism. The Stormalongs have managed to package all of the best things of youthful innocence into one album and they’ve done it well.
The musical style isn’t incredibly diverse but it is incredibly well done for sonic post-rock. Within this album you will find some sweet guitar candy, thumping bass and thrashy drums that expand upon their most obvious influences and turn The Stormalongs into a group that can call themselves exceptional.
Songs like Kierkegaard and Days Alight are able to showcase the ability of all the band members with gusto. Where they tend to excel above their genre predecessors is in their technical ability. Sonic style rock is generally known for it’s simple but fuzzy and full sound, The Stormalongs have fit in some blazing guitar solos along with a solid showing from bass, drums and vocals.
It would be nice to see a little more variation in the tone, at certain points the songs tend to blend together if you’re not paying attention. On a similar note, some songs do exhibit great solos and interesting progression, but a track like Missiles Through the Floor tend to become bogged down by status quo writing.
Overall the album is a great showing from a young band. This is one of the best melodic albums of the year thus far, even with the few flaws it manages to hold up to some of the best sonic-rock out there.
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Stray/York University Newspaper Review of ‘Fell Like Bricks’
Mark Nimeroski (marknimeroski.wordpress.com) Published by Excalibur, York University Newspaper Sept. 16th, Volume 44 Issue 5
Stormalongs – Fell Like Bricks (Independent) 2009
5 Stars
Sorry, local bands – the bar just got raised higher than snow drifts of northern Ontario. Bassist Matt Thompson, rhythm Adam Morello and lead guitar and singer-writer Colin Gibson come from frigid wasteville Timmins (they met drummer Nick Gaiser when forming in Toronto two years ago). These Ontario boys honed their skills as teenagers: Fell Like Bricks is 90s alt rock with basement jam ethic and the lingering haze of Floyd, Sabbath and Neil. Here’s what you need to know: Fell Like Bricks is the best rock album in Canada right now.
It’s the latest juice from Toronto, current indie rock capital of Earth, the Seattle of ‘90, Montreal of ‘05. What makes Fell Like Bricks so essential and refreshing is its lack of pretentiousness. You won’t find American Apparel matching calf-stripes, tanks or irony-staches on their stage; no Apple-spies or cell phone execs in the crowd seeking out fads and rock trends to sell back to tween masses.
Twice in ‘09 small venues got their windows busted during the three and a half minute eruption of “Kierkegaard”, a kind of star burst guitar punk skin tearing blast the Storms’ have mastered. To watch Thompson master his bass brings to mind Gandalf performing an Orc ballet of destruction with his mighty staff. Gaiser beats drums like they were Gitmo terrorists.
Amazingly, their depth of harmony and layered distortion comes out strong and clear on their debut full length. It’s an unstoppable, thirteen song masterpiece of sonic guitarage, melodic three chorders, and Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins rock epics. Indeed, Colin Gibson may be the next Billy Corgan: wailing solos both near and beyond the sound barrier. He’s backed by a rhythm section tighter than a choir boy’s twat. Predictable power-pop balladry that’s surprisingly free of cliche, fake charm.
You’ll soar away on their eight minute “In Absentia”, a track known to send Gibson diving into the crowd, ax in hand, to fuck you with his jazz wire, cut finger, gatling gun solo. But the band brings you home: familiar sidewalks in small towns, modern disillusionment, alientation, hope. Stunning laments “Haste”, “Kamala” and “Elucidate” will have your girlfriend swaying while you sit at your bed’s edge swelling with the unnameable nostalgia of youth. These tracks are huge. Remember the first time you weapt over U2’s “With or Without You”? Imagine it performed by Hüsker Dü.
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AWMusic.ca Review of ‘Fell Like Bricks’
2009 is a year of firsts for all. For the Toronto indie band The Stormalongs, 2009 represents the release of their debut album ‘Fell Like Bricks’. The alternative rock quartet brings punk inspired melodies without the abrasive nature known to accompany it. Every song on the album has a sense of attitude to it but the real treat is found amongst the more somber ballads that make Fell Like Bricks worth the listen.
The album begins with several songs that have fast tempos. ‘Domicile’ lacks the vocal asperous nature of a typical punk track yet at the same time it has that essence of familiarity. The shared vocals between Gibson, Morello, and Thompson make the song easy to listen to as it weaves from the familiar themes of suffering and loss. It also hits the finer points of self actualization and experience with lyrics like: “The Man cannot be naked but the man will strip away – leaving feelings so insignificant when you give them all your days”
Some of the best aspects of the album are portions you have to go digging for. With all available, it’s worth the dig. The tracks (and portions of them) that deviated from the standard rhythm sections were the ones most enjoyable. ‘Haste’, ‘Elucidate’, and even the final minute of ‘Days Alight’ felt absolutely uplifting. It was pleasant to hear the inclusion of the acoustic guitar. It gave songs a greater range and sound.
Fell Like Bricks is an album with a lot of energy, however some of the best parts are found when that energy is expressed calmly and conclusively. It doesn’t sound like it was an intention or a focal point of the album but consider it more like an Easter egg. The sonic force foundation of distorted guitars and billowing bass is an enjoyable listen and cleanly mixed. The Stormalongs have made a positive impression with their debut album and shown that a sign of quality music is layering.
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Too High To Get It Right review of ‘Fell Like Bricks’
Greg Harris (toohightogetitright.com)
http://www.toohightogetitright.com/reviews/albums/felllikebricks.html
The Stormalongs – Fell Like Bricks
Seen these guys a couple times with Luz Atomica, one of my favourite local bands. They weren’t too bad in the live setting, although I hadn’t heard from em in some time before I got their new record in my inbox.
The Stormalongs mix crunchy grunge-rock guitars with geek rock vocals that fall somewhere in between Weezer and 5440. Most songs are in the 3-4 minute range, so when the eight-minute, mostly instro psych of seventh track In Absentia came up in the middle of the album, it kinda threw me for a loop. Not a bad detour, mind you. Eighth track Kierkegaard comes to a close with a ripping solo overtop a pounding drum beat, one of the coolest moments on the record.
There are sprinklings of psychedlica throughout; a slowed-down passage here, a trippy riff there. The album title comes from another lengthy number, the seven-minute Xmas, which starts off slow, building up atmosphere into a hard-hitting chorus then ending with a flourish that recalls a band like Anagram or Holoscene. The album closer is an 11-plus minute jam called Elucidate that mixes jangly guitars with swirling soundscapes; it’s sorta like their answer to Luz’s “Storms Over Neptune.”
Although it runs a bit long at 66 minutes, Fell Like Bricks is a solid showcase for a band that tries to bridge psych, indie rock, and grunge. A pleasant listen, one that won’t blow your speakers. Always good to hear a local band doing their own thing…
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Lonely Vagabond Review of set @ The Drake Hotel Sept. 23/09
Lonely Vagabond (lonelyvagabond.com)
“An energy-fueled excursion that straddles classic rock and the indie-underground (combining elements of Sabbath, Sonic Youth and Pavement) delivering songs that are catchy, atmospheric and dynamic. Throw in ripping guitars and a thumping fuzz-bass, The Stormalongs continue to forge ahead with the right amount of rock spirit”
-Lonely Vagabond, Sept 25/09
http://lonelyvagabond.com/wpmu/2009/09/25/the-stormalongs-the-drake/
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CBC 3 – New Music Canada Review of “Fell Like Bricks”
CBC3
“Toronto classic alt-rock band, The Stormalongs, have released a powerful & high energy debut album. “Fell Like Bricks” is multi-textured, catchy and well worth listening to. “-CBC3/New Music Canada