THE WARPED 45S play the Horseshoe June 3. See listing. Rating: NNN
Local roots rockers the Warped 45s make the kind of no-frills country that always gets an audience in Toronto, no matter what’s going on in the rest of the world. It’s not the most imaginative formula, but they’ve always done a lot with it and enjoy a ton of critical respect. Given their previous releases, we expected Matador Sunset to be another great album, so we can’t help feeling a bit disappointed that this one is just good.
Warped 45s are still working with producer John Critchley, but this time there’s a vaguely glossy quality that doesn’t quite fit the tunes. The performances sound clean and concise, sometimes to the point of lifelessness, and while there are lots of strong moments and a few great songs, somehow a big part of their personality is missing. To be fair, had they not raised our expectations so high with their earlier work, we’d be more impressed with this record.
Top track: Grime Of Earthly Glory
