Galore

Ah, the good ol' days. Albums came in two sides, with five songs on each, and the whole thing could fit on one side of a Maxell C-90. People spoke of bands in antiquated rock 'n' rollisms like "hit parader." And most importantly, the greatness of glam rock was measured not in platform-boot lengths or layers of foundation, but in the size of the impression the riffs left on your arse. The fact that Galore prefer T-shirts and jeans to lipstick and silver lamé only reinforces the righteousness of their Spiders-from-Mars raunch and "Bang a Gong" boogie. The weighty, moody aspects of Galore's 2000 debut, Pilot Light, have been dropped for all-out teenage kicks and kisses, and the foursome play it so loose that even the power ballads are delivered with a soulful ease. And somehow, somewhere deep inside frontman Barry Walsh's throat, Paul Stanley, Elvis Costello and Jeff Buckley have found a way to cohabit peacefully. (****)
- Stuart Berman, Eye Weekly, Toronto ON, Sept. 26/ 02
- Eye Weekly, Toronto

Parader starts off well, with the driving “Little Hit Parader,” and a whole bunch of other songs share a similar frenetic pace…there’s no denying that Walsh has done what he intended to do because there are songs on Parader that have authenticity on their side — they sound as if they were recorded back in the ’70s — and the majority of them are finely-written pop songs.
- Michael Edwards, Exclaim!, Dec. 2002

- Exclaim Magazine

East Coast rock obsessives among you may recognize Barry Walsh as the former frontman of Halifax’s late 90s almost–made–its Cool Blue Halo, a gent whose knack for penning formidable melodies produced two of that city’s most memorable slices of Big Star power–pop (“Sweetie Said” and the immortal “Too Much Kathleen”). Walsh has since relocated to Toronto, grown a sizeable afro, adopted the moniker Galore and, with the help of some veteran Toronto scenesters, has been busy fermenting some excellent Raspberries Glam. Foot–stompin’, hand–clappin’ rockers like album opener “Little Hit Parader” and the catchy T–Rex strut of “Pretty One” confirm that Walsh is indeed one of this country’s most underrated songwriters, able to invent engaging melodies with seemingly effortless ease…Highly recommended.
- Neil McDonald, Echo Weekly, Hamilton, ON
- Echo Weekly, Hamilton

While the listener might correctly predict the exact chord changes, melody, and bridge of most of these songs, the fine craftsmanship and general pop smarts make this debut quasi-album quite enjoyable. Steeped in the sensibilities of Big Star, Sloan, and Matthew Sweet, the album seems to be split in halves, the former being short and terribly sweet while the latter lends more towards sweeping rock balladry. The highlights are the crunchy party rock of "Pocket Rocket" and the slow building of "Shine Too Hard." Lead singer Barry Walsh has honed his vocals into a smooth crisp delivery with the occasional falsetto. If there is any negative about the offering, its briefness leaves the listener wanting more.
- **** Jason McNeil, All Music Guide (for ‘Pilot Light’ EP)
- All Music Guide

'Parader' is Canadian rockers Galore's debut full length release (although they have previously released an EP). Even from the packaging it's easy to see that the band are in love with retro styling, with the songs being divided into 'Side A' and 'Side B' despite being on CD. And musically they're in love with glam stars like Marc Bolan with the big shout out choruses of songs like 'Pocket Rocket' and 'Pretty One'…This is certainly a step above recent retro bands such as the hugely overrated The Strokes, The Hives, and probably any one of a hundred other bands beginning with 'The' that you care to mention.
- Powerplay Magazine (UK)
- Powerplay Magazine UK

So damned retro they stubbornly refer to sides A and B still, despite having released this on CD, Galore invoke hazy images of the swinging 70s that your average disco night at Dukes will gladly gloss over. Glitter-drenched classic Glam after Bolan and Bowie fused to the gleefully crazed pianos of 'Exile On Mainstreet' era Stones, Parader shamelessly shakes its stuff like it’s a classic already. Released just in time for summer these are the kind of sunkissed pop songs to provide the perfect soundtrack to balmy evenings and hot lazy days. Even on the more downbeat ballads, which constitute around 40% of the record, Galore produce sumptuous and catchy pop melodies to stay with you ‘til the end of summer.
- Bubblegum Sluts fanzine, UK
- Bubblegum Sluts Magazine UK

Their last one, Parader, was a fave from 2004 and now, in 2006, comes "Amplifier", furthering the theory that good band get better and better with each outing. In this case, they become a really, really, really good one!

Magnificent and feel-good all the way to a state of classic rock-pop bliss. GRADE: Solid, across the board "A", no doubt!

Like its predessor, Galore meld, weld and attack all the right grooves(literally), pompy-glam pop rock of the early 70`s and heavenly swagger, Galore is pop album for rock fans. Fans of Cheap Trick, Sloan and The Churchills, check this out!

On the less recent side of the fence, fans of T. Rex, Mott The Hoople and "Ziggy" Bowie listen more loudly! Kind of like Big Star playing early 70`s Rolling Stones.

Old Not Lamers will remember a great Canadian band, Cool Blue Halo from the mid-90`s and Galore is led by Barry Walsh who fronted that fine, fine band.

Always crisp, always upbeat, always bursting with smoldering hooks and celestial vocals, this is my kind of treat that I never, every will tire of! - NOT LAME - USA

Fronted by Haligonian Barry Walsh - of the late, great Cool Blue Halo -Galore is a ballsy trip to '70s glam and power-pop. At times channelling This Year's Model-era Elvis Costello, Galore owes much of its sound to T-Rex, The Raspberries, early Bowie and Cheap Trick. They gorge on Marc Bolan’s sleazy teenage romanticism on "Typical You" and corner the poppier side of late-'70s punk with a nod to The Undertones' "Teenage Kicks" on "Teenage Rebellion Machine." This record owes nothing to present-day pop, bringing the great elements of raunchy, good-time power-pop together. Amplifier, a breath of fresh air, deserves a place in every collection.
-Trevor MacLaren
- The Coast, Halifax NS

Although based in Toronto, Galore have musical lineage that reaches from coast to coast. Featuring former members of Halifax's Cool Blue Halo and Vancouver's John Ford, their no nonsense approach to rock'n'roll has been winning them fans since their debut EP appeared back in 2000; their sophomore effort finds their momentum continuing... "Sad Because It's Summer" manages to nail Stiff Records-era Elvis Costello perfectly while "Teen Rebellion Machine" offers some nicely pointed observations about Avril Lavigne and her ilk. ..The simplicity of their sound makes their music accessible and probably makes them a formidable live band. Amplifier is surprisingly easy to listen to and it has more than its fair share of tunes that will stick in your head longer than you might expect. - Exclaim Magazine (edited)