Customer Reviews

Mississauga Goddam

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw this band live opening for Arcade Fire in Boston and they almost blew Arcade Fire off the stage (not to say that Arcade Fire was not fabulous live!).

This band was so much fun- revolving, multi-tasking musicians switching off from one instrument to the next, candy-throwing keyboardist, they even wore blindfolds and played their instruments for god's sake...like the B-52's meets Devo meets early R.E.M. Loud and percussive. Stupendous.
So I picked up this CD as a result of that live show. Could they possibly repeat that fun circus in the studio?

Well- not really. Now if this CD could only live up to that live performance it would be a 5 star production all the way. A little over-produced, however this is still a fun and gorgeous CD.

Pretty pop with lyrics about deviant sexual practices. How can you go wrong?!

Pick up this CD- you shall enjoy it. And go see them live if they ever play in your area. It will be one of the best shows you ever see...you'll never forget it and you won't be able to wipe the smile off your face for days.

after being pleasantly surprised by The Hidden Cameras' debut album; i was excited to hear this new record. the more i listened to The Smell Of Our Own, the more i grew to enjoy the sweet and gentle harmonies and delightfully perfect pop songwriting...and the lyrical focus just made it more unique and charming overall. i was hoping for more of the same with this new album. and thankfully, the band applies the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach to this new batch of tunes. alot of these new songs seem to have a little bit more of a small theater play feeling to them. i can imagine a few band members standing on a stage in a little community, doing their own rendition of songs from "Our Town." there's something quaint and homey about the tone of this band's music. just like with their first album, one song jumps out and grabs me...on Mississauga Goddam, that song is "Builds The Bone." it's a simple song with minimal instrumentation, but it has a strong impact. really gorgeous and strangely moving in it's haunting simplicity.

I saw them live in Cardiff last year, and there were literally more in the band than the audience! (Not their fault, it was not promoted at all, and I just happened to hear about it by accident)

This album is a lovely piece of work, and works better, on the whole, than its predecessor. The lyrics seem to have been toned down a bit, making a bit more accessible to those that aren't "that way inclined" (if you get what I mean).

A couple of songs could have been a tad better - for example "That's When the Ceremony Starts" promises something great, but somehow doesn't fully deliver. And I really don't get on with B Boy.

Overall, it's a great album, although it is missing a replacement to that killer track that now seems to define The Hidden Cameras (Ban Marriage).

If you get a chance to see them live, do so. They put on a fantastic show - and even play an entire song blindfolded (and we're talking 8+ people here, cellists, keyboards, guitars etc).

I just want to add to the accolades for this stupendous record. Mr Joel Gibb is a true genius and wants to share the glory of his world with us. Much has been made of his fetish of `water sports' and it must be said that if being pissed on makes you come up with music as effortlessly beautiful as this, then perhaps we should all give it a go.

There are only two tracks predominantly concerned with `water sports' and that is the opening `Golden Streams' and the closing `The man that I am with my man'. And it fair to say the melodies, harmonies and emotion do quite literally flow as like the aforementioned streams of gold.

After hearing this a mere twice I commented that there is not only not a single bad track (sorry about the double negative)but moreover there is not even a single bad note it is quite simply beautiful. That does not mean that the songs are all samey they all vary around the central theme of proclaiming a joyous celebration of who you are - and well done Mr Gibb for that. He uses a full choir, harps, violas, sleigh bells and the all essential hand claps on the smorgasbord of aural delight.

Stand out tracks are hard to say as they really are all that good from the disco anthemic style of `Ban Marriage to the laid back love ballad folksy `Shame'. That said track 6 is one that has stayed with me in a very good way indeed and that is `Day is dawning'.

The Japanese release has two extra tracks on it (`Heavy flow of evil' and `The Dying Galatian'), which is just ruddy unfair and brings me to my only criticism and that is that it is too short, I sometimes have played it back to back, so the two extra tracks would have been welcome. Can not rate highly enough and if you die without hearing this then you really have not lived.

In the movie "Whole New Thing", the protagonist had burned a CD for another character, and I noticed that the song that was being played was extremely good. I identified it as "We Oh We" by the Hidden Cameras, and I bought this album.

I liked every song on this album. Although some of the lyrics ("Music Is My Boyfriend" comes to mind) have some very odd imagery, the melodies and vocals are very well-performed. The lyrics and Joel Gibb's vocal stylings remind me of a mix of early REM and They Might Be Giants. If you like them and are not offended by a man very clearly singing love songs for another man, then I would recommend this album.

And if you are some bible-thumper or just a general homophobe, buy this album and listen to it anyway. You still have time to be saved.

This is very good music that can sometimes be an acquired taste, but don't let that scare you. It's melodic and he has a great voice. Some of the lyrics are (...) as the singer is (...). The song that won me upon hearing it on the radio was "I Believe In The Good Of Life."

I just saw them play in NY and if you have a chance go see them, it will cause you to love them 10 times more. What a great, intense show!