RIVAL BOYS play the Garrison Friday (June 3). See listing Rating: NNN
You can’t help but wonder if Toronto’s Rival Boys would have a lot more buzz behind them had they been around back in the 90s. They’re not exactly retro grunge rock, but their stripped-down guitar grooves and plaintive vocals would have made more sense back then, despite the fact that the members are too young to have played clubs in those days. Then again, considering that there’s a bit of a 90s revival going on, maybe this is good timing after all.
Bass player Lee Rose sings lead on most of the songs, but it’s when she shares the vocal duties with her brother Graeme that the band’s personality really starts coming through. The disc is split between minor-key rock dirges and uptempo anthems the latter work best, unless you prefer to mope to your music. There’s a very live quality to the recording, which is refreshing compared to the home studio excesses common in indie rock in recent years.
Top track: Recovery
