Nashmin The Canadian rock vets from Nova Scotia, now based in Toronto, have released their twelfth full-length after the longest break between albums of their career. The album, fittingly called 12, features twelve tracks, with each of the four members contributing and singing three songs.
Bassist Chris Murphy takes the mic on opening track and lead single “Spin Our Wheels” which provides my favourite chorus of the album with a classic Blue Rodeo rock vibe. His other contributions include “Don’t Stop” and “Wish Upon a Satellite” which show off his well-oiled vocals but deliver less of a punch than the opener.
“All of the Voices”, sung by the bearded guitarist Patrick Pentland gives off a Nirvana vibe minus the vocals, while the single “The Day Will Be Mine” delivers a driven beat and infectious chorus. Pentland caps off his contributions with “Have Faith”, another favourite of the album, with an uplifting message and a harmonic chorus. Jay Ferguson, also on guitar, has the most stand out voice of the group, with a higher pitch that lends itself to a poppier feel on his tracks with a Beatles-like sound.
Drummer Andrew Scott’s tracks show a Led Zeppelin influence with the slower moving tracks of the album that fail to grab me as much as the others. 27 years into their career, Sloan has proved that they can still pump out a solid set of rock tunes, and with equal contributions from each member, the album keeps you on your toes. 8/10
Words by William Cook
