Skytone

So, home I trudged from another long shift at work through the slushy mess that Vancouver calls snow; dodging the fashionably small dogs and the fashionably large SUVs, basically hating humanity, when I remembered that I had to have a review done for the Steamroller E-zine by tomorrow.

So, home I went, put on the debut album Echoes In All Directions by Ottawa's Skytone, and waited to hate it along with the rest of the world at that point. Then something funny happened; toes started tapping, moods started lifting, and the stresses and strains of the day started to disappear.

Although each song is its own, they work together to create a warm, stylish and exuberant album that is full of depth and variety with sounds reminiscent of everything from The Smiths ("It Doesn't Really Matter Anymore") to The Arcade Fire ("Springtime").

The production by the band's Rodney Doddridge is very good, and manages to keep the album sounding textured and full without being cluttered, while the vocals and musicianship by the duo is equally as good.

Overall, Echoes In All Directions is a fun, catchy and original album that balances the simplicity of great pop music with just enough depth and emotion to create an entirely fresh and inventive sound.

www.myspace.com/skytonemusic