Comments and Concerns

My first impression of Comments and Concerns debut Double EP Alibi when I starting listening, was that is was fusion of traditional elements of western Canadiana pop wrapped in a warm fuzzy ethereal blanket of comfy sound that was soothing and stimulating. It is always a good policy to never put all your stock in a first impression. Half way through Alibi…..we take a sharp angular turn.

This isn’t just a collection of songs put together in one place, but a deliberate two part adventure sharing the bands musical journey. The first half embodies that down home friendly feel good easy to listen to pop. The second half is more edgy and musically complex in the arrangements.

alibi3“Sweater State Of Mind” is my favourite of the first half. It is fun, upbeat and catchy. I enjoy the use of the violin in this song as well as in”Damian”. It adds that definitive classic prairie influence that stands out as the hallmark sound of Saskatoon‘s Comments and Concerns musical origins.”

alibiAs much as I found something endearing about each song in the first half of Alibi, I was much more drawn to the more raw and daring style of the second half. Alibi Pt 1, is a short introduction that snaps us out of the sunshine and clean crisp brightness into the shadier rough and raw Alibi Pt 2 which is a rich sound-scape of full bodied alternative rock with an aggressive in your face attitude. “Cold Shiver Shake” has a real rhythm driven quality with a Tragically Hip feel. “Miss Understanding”, the most unique of the second half of this tour d’oppose. The poetry blended with the sultry sulk that carries the song through a very unique use of percussion which seems to ebb and tide the song in and out of melancholy. ”Renegade”, is my song choice off the entire Alibi offering. Still strongly unique, both the lyric and the musical energy maintain a strong passionate presence. It has the lightest and most optimistic feel of the songs from the second half while still retaining the edge. A satisfying denouement to this voyage of musical discovery. Comments and Concerns demonstrate they have a solid foundation that firmly supports their vision quest to grow and experiment as musicians - I Can't Believe My Earz

Comments and Concerns is responsible for one of the more unusual records to emerge from Saskatoon in recent memory. The Alibi Project is as long as a regular LP, but the band has chosen to present it as a pair of EPs. The first consists of songs written before a number of lineup changes, the second material written after Comments and Concerns was reduced to a trio. Even though both sides were recorded by the same musicians - Mitchell Epp, Justin Schmidt, and Brady Plett - the differences between them are profound. The first side consists of straightforward rock and roll songs driven by Epp's acoustic guitar and contains a large number of references to wooly sweaters. (The opening track, "Sweater State of Mind," conjures up the ghost of legendary Saskatoon band Volcanoless In Canada.) The second EP is more complex and evocative, closer to what lies at the heart of the band. "Cold Shiver Shake" is a grungy rock song propelled by a towering bass riff and punctuated by reverb-drenched guitar chords. "Renegade," on the other hand, shakes up what would otherwise be a spacey indie rock song with a handful of off-kilter time changes. According to Plett the double EP was conceived to bridge the gap between the band's past and present. But it also points towards a bright future.

Interview with Brady Plett follows. - Verb

Comments and Concerns, a Saskatoon three-piece indie rock group, have released a teaser video in advance of their upcoming EP The Alibi.

The video, which contains a song from the EP, features the band wrecking up some drywall in what looks like an abandoned house. Vocalist and guitarist Mitch Epp explains that it was actually a bit of luck and opportunity that was presented to the band.

“Brady, our drummer, just happened to be in the process of tearing down that house to build up a new one,” says Epp. “Obviously the plot of the video was greatly inspired by the opportunity to destroy a house. But that house is long gone.”

Comments and Concerns recently released their single “Cold Shiver Shake” (see below), which exudes a swampy blues vibe as skeletal guitar lines guide ominous rhythms and bass rumbles before exploding into jubilant noise.

The band will be dropping The Alibi EP on January 15, with a CD release party happening at Amigos on the 18. Epp says the band plans on hitting up Alberta for a series of shows later in the year. - Omniocity