Calgarian band Stalwart Sons ushers in the autumnal decline with their second album Stay Cold. Laden with the varnish of post-hardcore and ’90s screamo aesthetics, the self-proclaimed “Canadiana three piece” has abandoned their usual conventions to delve deeper into the realm of fast-paced, toe-tapping rock and roll.
While the band’s first album, Burn Daylights Like Torches, was most notable for its Springsteen-esque honesty and melancholy lyrics, Stay Cold expresses a wintery discontent with the state of Canadian affairs.
Lyrical topics include observations on the decline of local agriculture and a musical response to Richie Haven’s performance at Woodstock. The overall argument of Kevin Stebner’s lyrics always ties back to the main theme of the rawness and beauty of the Canadian landscape.
The recordings are louder and bettermixed than their first album, and each of the instruments finds its own space in every song, making the sound clear and lush.
It’s hard not to mention Matt Learoyd’s bass playing — it stands out noticeably in the album, having a punchy roundness to it that funks with the pulsating drums without overwhelming Stebner’s guitar.
Because the album is so focused on the songwriting and lyricism, there were very few quiet, drawn-out moments for the guitars and atmosphere to truly shine. Overall this issue is minor and doesn’t detract from the album as a whole.
When it comes to truly Canadian local music, it’s hard to find a comparable group that so loudly screams the environmental call to arms that Stalwart Sons extends to fellow Canadians. Their uncompromising devotion to influencing the various facets of Canadian society makes them a diamond in the rough, and something that deserves to reach the ears of many.