The upcoming album, Restless (due 5th July 2024) from THE COMMONERS, is an appropriate sequel to their previous Find A Better Way and presents a glimpse below this Canadian band’s unflurried pelmet of accomplishment, to expose the demanding activities & conflicted moods that, perhaps, lie beneath the glittering facade of a troupe of rock ‘n’ rollers on their way up.
The Commoners are a diligent ensemble of competent creatives on a mission to reinvigorate the classic roots genre, so this new album, recorded at RHC Music in Toronto, features a whole hoopla of rooting-tooting choruses that come interspersed with slower-paced, thoughtfully meditative tracks of joyful transcendence.
the catchiest riff you’ve heard since Free dropped Wishing Well back in ’72…
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“As with our previous album, we wanted to marry old and new southern rock together in a way that was unique to the band’s Canadian roots,” says the Commoners guitarist and producer Ross Hayes Citrullo.
“By adding the soul and rock elements of The Black Crowes, and the southern blues rock undertones of The Allman Brothers to a production style akin to Blackberry Smoke and Rival Sons, I think we developed an authentic sound that compares sonically to some of our favourite records across all of those music genres.”
Shake You Off (video shared below) is a contagious burst of spiced whisky & exuberant potential and features a set of rhomboidal sound slabs that blend deftly with the catchiest riff you’ve heard since Free dropped Wishing Well back in ’72.
With a chorus fit for a large load hauler kicking up dirt on ranchland gravels, See You Again is a strong roots fantasia that praises a working life that has been dedicated to labour & perseverance, elevating the sincere desire to complete one’s duties and proceed to what comes after with an open mindset and pure heart.
Photo Credit © Will Carter
The song honours Commoners drummer Adam Cannon’s father who unexpectedly passed away in 2023 (when the band was on tour in the United Kingdom) so the composition is led by an expansive acoustic guitar, which changes the mood from one of introspective contemplation to one of joyous celebration.
Gone Without Warning is fervently driven by a gunpowdering riff that drives an intensely tension-ridden song. With an abundance of razor-sharp guitars and a heap of exuberant drumming, the song immediately grabs attention. Chantal Williams, a former Bywater Call and Spencer Mackenzie vocalist, contributes strong backing vocals. Bassist Ben Spiller & drummer Adam Cannon also contribute powerful background vocals, producing a feast of jaw-dropping rock ‘n’ roll inebriation.
The message of this album is to experience the calm storm and rediscover joy in life’s living.
Words: © Neil Mach
Main photo: © Rob Blackham
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