Carpenter – “Mean Things” [Free Download]

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The Skinny: Formed in 2005 from the ashes of some of Vancouver’s biggest post-punk bands (All State Champion, By A Thread, Daggermouth), Carpenter’s soaring rock-n-roll assault sprung from singer Daniel Sioui’s obsession with the 1982 John Cougar classic American Fool.

Like Mellencamp, Sioui took aim at writing material that was lasting, catchy and heartfelt while also striving to retain the intensity and DIY ethics of the members’ punk and hardcore roots. Carpenter’s newest full-length, Sea To Sky, continues that trajectory with ten timeless songs that feel like an instant classic in the making.

As the follow-up to Carpenter’s acclaimed debut, Law Of The Land, the band’s sophomore LP was recorded with engineer Stu McKillop at Rain City Recorders (Broadway Calls, Living with Lions) and oozes a boundless energy that embraces its musical roots while simultaneously forging a new path for the outfit. Hints of ’90s emo and post-punk seep into the band’s established rock n roll assault, creating songs that are all at once passionate, driving and downright contagious.

In fact, it could be argued that the choruses on Sea To Sky spread faster than an epidemic, no doubt pushed along by booming guitar riffs, a tireless rhythm section and, of course, Sioui’s terrific range as a vocalist.