Oval Window

Oval Window started the show at 10:30, focusing mainly on songs from their current album Circling The Drain. . Songs like "Four", "Ways", "I've Been Waiting", and the title track "Circling the Drain" are always highlights, but it's their cover of Alice In Chain's "Rooster" that showed people who haven't heard the album yet how credible this band is. Brad Cain's vocals never fail to demand attention. Next time you see these guys, watch the crowd. You will always see people go from chatting amongst themselves to giving the stage their undivided attention within a few songs. You can't help but take notice…he's THAT good. One of the people who was glued to the stage was Smeer's front man, Ryan LeClair, who commented that he knew of 15 Toronto bands who would, quote "give their left nut for a singer like that". Sandy Goodine and Phil Leblanc drum & bass work were bang-on without being overpowering, showing that they realize the job of a rock band's rhythm section is to provide a solid base for the rest of the band to soar over. The reaction to Oval Window's set showed they had yet again won people over. After 45 minutes, the band exited the impressed crowd and made way for the headliner.
By: Tim Mckay
- Tim Mckay 105.3 The Fox

CD: Circling the Drain

Many things can be read about the sudden abundance of fantastic music being produced by the Fredericton music scene. Not since the heyday of the Halifax grunge scene has such a group of talent emerged from a city better known for many other things than it’s music. Leading this charge to, what will inevitably be, recognition from the rest of Canada is a group of young men going by the odd moniker of Oval Window.

Circling The Drain is the premier release by Oval Window. Guitarist Andrew Wilcox ( replaced in 2003 by James Morrison), drummer Sandy Goodine, singer Brad Cain and bassist Phil LeBlanc have combined their respective talents to produce a sometime heavy, sometime melodic collection of rock songs that leaves much of the current popular fare gasping soundlessly in their dust.

Being completely serious, I cannot say enough good things about this band

Circling The Drain is a collection of eleven songs that shouldn’t be looked at as a good Canadian independent CD, but as was one the better kick ass rock and roll disc’s you are ever likely to purchase. These tunes can stand along side of anybody’s in the industry, Canadian or U.S., major label or indie, it makes no difference. Just damn fine tunes.
By: GWN
- GWN

Oval Window first formed in the Fall of 2001.

The band quickly began writing their own songs, which became the material for their first full-length CD entitled Circling the drain , recorded at Reel North Studios and produced by Lloyd Hanson.

"Writing became very important to us right away," explained drummer
Sandy Goodine "We started writing songs even within our first couple of jams. We were hooking onto a few riffs and the cover tunes took a back seat right away, which was very interesting because we knew we had a lot of music in the can."

The band's members recognize the difficulties they face in trying to promote their own original music in the bar scene, but seem up for the challenge. Singer Brad Cain, admitted that it can be frustrating to deal with audiences that are only interested in covers, although he feels it is a worthwhile compromise to slip some rock classics into their sets while keeping their own brand of rock at the forefront.

"It just depends on what the room's like _ who's in the crowd,
" Cain elaborates "You're always going to have people who want to hear new stuff, stuff they
haven't heard before, and you're always going to have people who want to hear something that they know."

However, despite any concerns about the local scene, the group also show a lot of enthusiasm as they discuss other bands coming out of Fredericton.

Cain also chimes in on the lack of alternative venues in the city, suggesting that it is not lack of interest by bands or fans that is keeping original music off the streets. On the other hand, even this problem has been receiving some well-deserved attention.

"There is still a limited number of places to play, but at least there
are places that are letting bands play again," he adds, also pointing out that the large student population needs to be made more aware of the many talents that Fredericton has to offer.

Nevertheless, the band is doing it's best to make that happen, In the meantime, visit ww.ovalwindow.ca for more information
By: The Brunswickan


- The Brunswickan