A disjointed, yet promising release from Silvergun and Spleen

By: Colin Rabyniuk –

Silvergun and Spleen’s Semi Truck is an awkward and ill-conceived record. On it, the Ottawa band tries to combine Paramore-style rock anthems with a more indie sound. However, they don’t take the time or care to fully realize that idea.

The album launches into a driving bassline beneath the warm buzz and reverb of a guitar, and it builds to a chorus easy enough to dance to. It’s a welcoming intro, understated and intriguing. Yet the band seems to betray these positives, using an out of place, half time breakdown to end the song with. It’s frustrating to hear the band mail in the end of an otherwise strong track.

Lead singer Marie-Eve Mallet is a big distraction from rest of the group. The mix often pushes the guitars and bass down to accommodate her voice. While it is powerful, Mallet’s voice lacks the grit needed to drive this music. At times her lyrics come off as half-baked and trite. “I’ll move right through you like a semi-truck” she sings on the album’s title truck. Sorry, but semi trucks don’t move through anything.

“Losing It” is the band’s best track. The music is fast and stripped down. There are no extras frills or embellishments. It’s a hard recipe to mess up. The basic song structure allows Mallet’s voice to come through as intended.

Unfortunately, the album seems to fall apart as it goes on. By the time the synth outro in “The Runaway” begins, the listener is too bored to protest much. Then, with “Too Late,” the band tries to end with a real rager. Ultimately though, they stumble over themselves, with botched drum fills and a meager guitar solo.

With nine tracks at just over 25 minutes, the album would benefit from being pared down. Less is more in this case. There are promising pieces to Semi Truck, but things feel rushed or unfinished. Cutting or reworking some of the weaker tracks would produce a much tighter effort.