Sharks & Ladders

I’m a homebody. Pure and simple, I love my town and would never want to live anywhere else. That doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t occasionally cast an envious eye at other cities and their burgeoning music scenes. I’ve always wanted the on-the-ground perspective afforded to those who watch and hear a scene grow around them. People talk of an Ottawa scene, but apart from a few local bands who gig regularly in the Capital, many of whom are from out of town, there isn’t much to speak of. Rising from the ashes of their former bands, the four members of Sharks & Ladders are primed to take a lead role in the nascent Ottawa post-rock scene.

Wild Containment is a blistering four-track greeting highlighted by slick rock n’ roll chops, deep grooves, and an appealing interplay between music and vocals. At first blush, I was surprised by the folk singer lilt to Zach’s clean, melodic vocals, but it didn’t take me long to come to appreciate the counterpoint they provide for the charging thrust of the music. This is well demonstrated on opener, Imposters, where the vocals soar above a solid wall of rhythm section with lead guitar combing the middle ground. Programme Invalid starts off with a cool garage riff before taking an impressive turn that devolves to a fist-raising shout “we repeat / just like machines”. On title track, Wild Containment, the boys allow themselves to take a nice proggy wander with subtle time signature shifts but are kept in line by Fab’s tight drumming, complete with precision inserts. Safety Brings Bad News is the standout track of the bunch. Excellent guitar work, thick with hooks and great lyrics, underpinned by the stellar weighty bass lines laid down by Fish. This is the track that has radio-friendly written all over it and the professional polish belies the short amount of time these guys have been together. Further enhanced by a top-notch production that few bands can boast of on a debut EP, Wild Containment bodes good things for Sharks & Ladders and the larger Ottawa music scene, which needs an influx of fresh blood. Why not Shark blood? Wild Containment will be out independently on March 19th and will be available through the band’s myspace page as well as via digital download. - Mudkiss

I’m a homebody. Pure and simple, I love my town and would never want to live anywhere else. That doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t occasionally cast an envious eye at other cities and their burgeoning music scenes. I’ve always wanted the on-the-ground perspective afforded to those who watch and hear a scene grow around them. People talk of an Ottawa scene, but apart from a few local bands who gig regularly in the Capital, many of whom are from out of town, there isn’t much to speak of. Rising from the ashes of their former bands, the four members of Sharks & Ladders are primed to take a lead role in the nascent Ottawa post-rock scene.

Wild Containment is a blistering four-track greeting highlighted by slick rock n’ roll chops, deep grooves, and an appealing interplay between music and vocals. At first blush, I was surprised by the folk singer lilt to Zach’s clean, melodic vocals, but it didn’t take me long to come to appreciate the counterpoint they provide for the charging thrust of the music. This is well demonstrated on opener, Imposters, where the vocals soar above a solid wall of rhythm section with lead guitar combing the middle ground. Programme Invalid starts off with a cool garage riff before taking an impressive turn that devolves to a fist-raising shout “we repeat / just like machines”. On title track, Wild Containment, the boys allow themselves to take a nice proggy wander with subtle time signature shifts but are kept in line by Fab’s tight drumming, complete with precision inserts. Safety Brings Bad News is the standout track of the bunch. Excellent guitar work, thick with hooks and great lyrics, underpinned by the stellar weighty bass lines laid down by Fish. This is the track that has radio-friendly written all over it and the professional polish belies the short amount of time these guys have been together. Further enhanced by a top-notch production that few bands can boast of on a debut EP, Wild Containment bodes good things for Sharks & Ladders and the larger Ottawa music scene, which needs an influx of fresh blood. Why not Shark blood? Wild Containment will be out independently on March 19th and will be available through the band’s myspace page as well as via digital download. - Mudkiss

I'm usually pretty leery about bands that feature teenagers. I think that cautiousness is warranted, because quite frankly, most of those bands suck. That's not the case with Ottawa's Sharks And Ladders though.

The group, led by 16 year-old Zach Rubens, are on the verge of releasing their debut EP Wild Containment. The record is four tracks worth of psychedelic-influenced hard rock (think somewhere between Pearl Jam and Queens Of The Stone Age), powered by guitar work that is impressive for a musician of any age. Providing the foundation is a rock solid rhythm section that never seems to miss a beat.

The band still has some work to do. The vocals are often underpowered and have a tendency to get drowned out by the whip-smart guitar work. A little more melody is required to sustain a full length album as well. Regardless of those criticisms, Wild Containment is an impressive piece of work for such a young band. - Snob's Music

I'm usually pretty leery about bands that feature teenagers. I think that cautiousness is warranted, because quite frankly, most of those bands suck. That's not the case with Ottawa's Sharks And Ladders though.

The group, led by 16 year-old Zach Rubens, are on the verge of releasing their debut EP Wild Containment. The record is four tracks worth of psychedelic-influenced hard rock (think somewhere between Pearl Jam and Queens Of The Stone Age), powered by guitar work that is impressive for a musician of any age. Providing the foundation is a rock solid rhythm section that never seems to miss a beat.

The band still has some work to do. The vocals are often underpowered and have a tendency to get drowned out by the whip-smart guitar work. A little more melody is required to sustain a full length album as well. Regardless of those criticisms, Wild Containment is an impressive piece of work for such a young band. - Snob's Music