Bend Sinister – “Stories Of Brothers, Tales Of Lovers” [Album Review]

Sliding Bend Sinister’s Stories Of Brothers, Tales Of Lovers into the car stereo, I was greeted by what’s since become one of my favourite songs of 2008. So much did I enjoy “The News” that I couldn’t actually get through the whole record on my first few attempts as I’d find myself constantly starting it over to be greeted by the chirping birds and soothing whistling that would soon explode into the Vancouver-based band’s signature piano-driven upbeat indie rock.

Dan Moxon’s vocals are powerful and soothing, and blend beautifully with the band’s theatre-tinged take on piano rock. After my initial tries, getting through the rest of the record was a total breeze. Other highlights include “The Same Things” and “Jimmy Brown,” the latter of which at first feels like a slight departure from the upbeat bounce of its preceding track until picking up at the midway point.

There is a lot of variety between these songs, as while they all carry the same sonic signature, the band goes everywhere from the happy-go-lucky nature of “The News” to the loungy, laid back, and slowed-down style of “Careless” and subdued “Give Into The Night (Reprise).” Each of the 14 tracks makes a solid argument that it belongs on the release, though the album does run a little long. Individual tracks, like “Julianna,” for example, also suffer from the overuse of a few passages.

It’s hard to fault the band for such relatively minor missteps, as the record is ultimately a great collection of material and each tune does indeed offer a different mood or feel from its sisters; still, I found myself in a few ruts at various points throughout the record. Big picture, though, this album is a lot of fun and when they hit the mark like they so definitely do on the opening track, Bend Sinister does indeed earn its place in the stereo.

Track Listing:

01. The News
02. Brothers Of Humankind
03. The Same Things
04. Jimmy Brown
05. CT
06. Careless
07. Because Because
08. Give Into The Night
09. Dr. Lee
10. Julianna
11. Once Again
12. Give Into The Night (Reprise)
13. Demise
14. City Lights

Run Time: 55:39
Release Date: November 11, 2008