Release Date: Apr 18, 2006
Label: Universal International
Genres: Singer/Songwriter, American Trad Rock
Number Of Tracks: 10
This CD is a bit of a concept album but not in an annoying or repetitive way.
Chemical City
Reviewed by:
davidgilmourfan, on may 22, 2006 3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Sound: This is a great new album from Canadian artist Sam Roberts! Chemical City is very different from his first album. Lovely guitar work and Sam vocals are calming and awesome! The best songs on this album are "Bridge To Nowhere", "With A Bullet", "Bootleg Saint" and "Mind Flood". Sam has some much longer songs on this album (Mind Flood - 8:09), and it is a very fun and upbeat album. 70s, 80-ish is the feel to this album with a nice modern flare to it! The guitar work on this album is very unqiue. Sam keeps to the interesting and "different" strumming styles. Great chord changes and all of the songs on this album are catchy and enjoyable. No song is the same on this album, each song has its own special quality. Whether its the guitar, the vocals, the lyrics or something else, this album just keeps you interested. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are actually very cool! I love the lyrics in this album. They are fun and interesting. I am impressed with the lyrics in this album, they really fit the songs! Fun to sing along with too. If your a lyric person, well, this isn't exactly your perfect lyrical album. The lyrics are good and all, but not spectacular. For most songs there are a lot of "canadian" references and he sticks to his origin of Canada and writes most songs concerning his childhood in Canada, women, or just Canadian heritage in general. // 8
Impression: Well, my overall impression of this album is that it is a very fun and impressive. I couldn't expect any less from Sam Roberts. It has a little bit of everything. Nice acoustic, clean rock, new age rock, retro rock and soft rock/soothing lyrical peices. It is very different from his other album and I like the change. Sam expands his musical talent and should please more people. "And I can't guarantee that you won't get stoned..." Bridge To Nowhere. // 9
Chemical City
Reviewed by:
Dick6Valentine, on march 13, 2007 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: I can't take "Chemical City" out of my CD player and for good reasons. Having heard their first single, "Soldier Down" off of there first Album I was a little worried about the sound of their sophmore release. I totally dig the whole southern rock voice with a northern/canadian like flare. One of the most impressive parts are the organ parts in most of the songs. The way the bass, guitar, and organ work together are amazing. A couple of examples are in the song "The Gate" which starts out with a lone organ and then the bass comes in with a soulfull riff then everything comes in, it is amazing. In the song "Mind Flood" like 4 minutes into the song it goes into a 4 minute-ish solo with a very spacey organ and trippy guitar solos. My favorite song on the CD "An American Draft Dodger In Thunder Bay", this song is obviously a song about the vietnam war mentioning vietcong soldiers. This song is very touching because it is written with a strange emotional pull and with music style that sounds like it would be in the sixties make it seem like you are there. The whole CD is great! Not every song comes out and grabs a hold of you right away but the CD grows on you fast. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: I hate putting too much information in this part because the most stunning part of the CD is the lyrics. What he says is very cunning and where he lacks in cunning lyrics he makes up in the way his voice melds with the other aspects of the music. In "An American Draft Dodger In Thunder Bay" Sam says, "Missing his home, he would wake up in a cold sweat" these lyrics may not seem extraordinary or that witty the way he says it with the stopping of the music gives you an Eerie feeling about the grief of war. All and all the lyrics are great, one of my favorite of any band. // 9
Impression: The Sam Roberts Band isn't trying to start a revolution with this CD but it is a damn good piece of art. I'm not trying to be overly complimentive of this CD but it is very hard. I like it because I can just pop it in and do anything. Well you won't be able to headbang to this CD but pretty much anything else goes. I would definitly go out and buy this CD if you don't have it already. See them live, buy their stuff. They are a hardworking band. // 9
Chemical City
Reviewed by:
Grayson67, on may 22, 2006 1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Sound: For the Sam Roberts Band second release they changed their sound abit. Almost every song on this album has a different original sound to it. You have your rock sound with the gate, with a bullet, and the resistance. A psychedelic sound to Mind Flood. A calm sound that could rock you to sleep from Bridge to Nowhere, Uprising Down Under. A piano Ballad, A Stone Would Cry out. Chemical City has a little bit of everything, which I found awsome. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are just incredible. With songs like Bridge to Nowhere and the Bootleg Saint it just shows how a cool rhythm combined with amazing lyrics works well. "He came down on a storm cloud hard as the Amazon rain" I mean how hardcore is that from Bootleg Saint. The lyrics go perfect with the song and the album title "chemical city". Sams voice is also very unique in this CD. It seems like he sings every song a little different, which worked very well for this CD. // 10
Impression: I absolutely loved this cd, Its definetaly worth checking out, even if you've never heard Sams last CD "We Were Born In A Flame". I strongly recommend it to anyone who likes a good everything cd. The only thing I didnt like to much was it left you wanting more. It seems like there should be more songs (10 tracks). The guitar solo's also made you want more, they seemed really short but other then that its an amazing cd. Definetaly one to check out. // 9
He's played twice at UWO here in Canada for Oweek and Both his shows were SIIICCKK. And I'm not sure who was more drunk.... him or everyone in the crowd
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