delusional

http://www.disclaimerband.com/d.html#delusional

Willie's comments: delusional, a gauzy headrush of a band from Toronto, makes music that's like listening to an optical illusion: what you're hearing doesn't quite make sense, and you know that there's some trickery involved that you can't quite put your finger on... and that's what makes it so cool! With two guitars and a keyboard that are often compressed into a dreampop blur, delusional’s sound is appealingly warm- an asset that works in their favor whether they're biding their time around a simple, ethereal whirlpool of a song ("Burn Up") or launching into more upbeat, bouncy numbers ("It's True," which has a terrifically weird, stumbling melody). It's not your typical My Bloody Valentine, wall-of-fuzz style of dreampop, though, which is what's so interesting here. delusional owes as much to acid-rock like the Flaming Lips' early work or the Stone Roses as the shoegazer movement, since all the instruments really are playing individual parts, and creatively dented parts at that! Something about the way all the noises work together just makes it seem like a big melting pot, though. Rounding it all out are some melancholy melodies (especially on "Weight of the World," "Love & a 45," and "Never Change") that aren't exactly "catchy," but they do wander into strangely beautiful places. When you get right down to it, delusional’s debut is more concerned with its own clever atmosphere than the songs' individual development- don't buy it expecting a plateful of radio-ready hooks- but that's not really a criticism when they're able to conjure such an exquisitely trippy mood. Grade: A-
- http://www.disclaimerband.com/d.html#delusional

Delusional, a Rock band. This might appear strange but it would be hard to give a more precise label to this Canadian band. Pop, Folk, Psychedelic and Reggae songs all link the 12 songs on the album. It is the absence of consistency that astonishes right up to the last song. One also gets this impression from the musicians, who appear to be playing the same song but with very different moods. But this eclecticism can also be seen as a trump card, notably owing to the melodic wealth of their songs, which is very unusual for a Rock group. The voice, which takes on an almost instrumental value, as well as the acoustic arrangements and the distortion, without doubt add to the ability of delusional to give their songs a Pop soul. But the link to be observed between these disconnected songs is not visible from a technical point of view but rather appears in the general atmosphere that it releases. A celestial and melancholic atmosphere is created notably by the keyboard but also in part by the rhythmic guitar and soloist. So if some of you still wonder what style delusional plays... You could say it is Indie Psychedelic Space Pop Rock. Those of you who are interested have been warned! - Géry Brusselmans
- http://www.beyondwebzine.com,

http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusicArtistsS/susan_said.html
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Susan Said welcome to Canada
By ALLAN WIGNEY -- Ottawa Sun


Hold that thought, Sue. There's a call coming through from area code 647.

It's our friend Jason Phin, guitarist and vocalist for the Guelph/Hamilton band Delusional. The Britpop-inspired quintet will be at Cafe Dekcuf on Friday, playing songs from an upcoming EP release.

"We fall into a lot of different genres," Phin says by way of clarification. "When you hear us play, it's Britpoppy, it's rocky, it's a little psychedelic ... we touch on a lot of different genres but we listen to Britpop, for the most part.

And classic stuff like The Beatles, the Stones and good '70s bands like Zeppelin. That comes through too.

It depends; there are two writers in our band, Matt (Ferguson, guitarist/vocalist) tends to write more poppy stuff, I write more rock stuff."

The psychedelic touches set the band apart from the bulk of the rocky/Britpoppy bands out there. And there is promise to be found in the songs on Delusional's self-titled 2001 album. The EP, Phin says, will be "a bit more on the rock side, with faster songs."

Thanks, Jason. By the way, where the heck is area code 647 anyway?

"Toronto," Phin says. "It's for cell-phones."

But of course. It's like I told Sue Sed, there's more to Canada than area code 416.
- www.canoe.ca

DELUSIONAL S/T (Stellar Records)

It’s hard to believe that delusional is from the heartland of Guelph, ON. Especially since they’ve got a distinct Brit-pop sound. Still, it’s quite fair to say that although their sound is similar to early Oasis on some tracks, their songs are sugarcoated with a kind of fun that Oasis doesn’t have. The opener, "First Song," cranks into a bubbly power-pop melody, while "Someday" is more distorted, mellowed, and hypnotic. "It’s True" even seems to have inherited the vocals of Badly Drawn Boy. Despite their name, delusional seems to be right on track with their debut release and should definitely gain some recognition for it.

- Jenny Yuen, Aug 21, 2002

- http://www.chartattack.com/DAMN/2002/08/2001.cfm - Chart - "Your Canadian Music Source"

Delusional has probably never seemed as ready to break out than they are now. The release of their eponymous debut experimented with an expansive, atmospheric pop approach that treated music as an exploratory vehicle. While lead singer and guitarist Matt Ferguson admits the new songs are “much tighter,” the band’s music is still defined by inquisitive jams. Look for those same neopsychedelic flights — from Ferguson, alongside Bernard Stramwasser (keyboards), Jason Phin (rhythm guitar and vocals), Marty Lavictoire (bass) and Chris Inrig (drums) to be captured on a new studio effort, tentatively titled Pharmacology.
“The stage set–up is always the same (drums, keys, bass, rhythm, lead),” he says, “but we play whatever we feel like at that given moment.” Along with The Vapids and Warsawpack, delusional was recently requested to perform a private party at Toronto radio station Edge 102’s Yonge St studios — indication of how local bands are moving beyond the borders of the city.

- Ric Taylor, Aug 15 - 21, 02

- http://www.viewmag.com/viewstory.php?storyid=458 - View Magazine - "Greater Hamilton's Weekly Alternative"