The Knowledge of Us

The newly formed Calgary alt-rock quartet, The Knowledge of Us, releases their debut album, Aware, with only a few shows under their belt. This album is a tight collection of melodic songs that show the dynamic range and talent of founding members Krista Forand on percussion and Ian Miller on vocals, bass, guitar and keyboard. It’s clear the quartet has the chops to become a lasting addition to Calgary’s ever-changing music scene. - Avenue Magazine

There are comparisons that artists will embrace and others that will make them want to hang up the microphone and call it day. Luckily for Calgary’s The Knowledge Of Us, the references are well checked. Radiohead took many incarnations to exemplify the experimentation that Aware displays on the bands debut release — an impressive feat for any band, but especially for an infant one. With TKOU there are many elements at work that together create a full, challenging sound — the type of sound that almost beg you to start every track over in a search to realize it all. There are opportunities for every ingredient to be at the forefront here, and as a whole, there is a strong dynamic. Aware is well, aware, of its influences and perhaps wears them a bit too much at to,es, but this is a strong debut, with dense consistency and challenging songs.

Three and a half out of five stars. - SEE Magazine

Some bands take years to develop a relationship, sound and approach that is uniquely extraordinary. Some never find it. Others inherently hold those enviable aspects, nurturing them with inspired creativity and like-minded collaborative efforts. Proving itself among the latter, Calgary's The Knowledge of Us offers up a dynamic affair in Aware, a work that unites serene atmospheres and sonic divergences with virulent undertones to create an impressive debut.

Aware is as heated and compelling as it is jangly and lilting. A lolling mélange of twangy guitars, shuffling percussion and propulsive falsetto vocals, it’s expected that the group has spent many evenings studying the classics: Pavement and Radiohead. At that, while aspects of the album could benefit from the process of refinement — namely the elongated timeframe, in that an hour-long “hello” is saying too much — when the quartet does spark, it results in a spectacle of light. Forgiving its tendency to overstate, though, Aware is an impressive showing from four musicians barely together long enough to know each other’s idiosyncrasies, let alone perform with such cohesion. - Fast Forward Weekly