Canadian powerhouse The Respectables are back and sounding better than ever in their awesome new album The Power of Rock ‘N’ Roll. It is best described as a brute tour de force stylized with moments of earnest acoustic balladry that will leave you begging for more. Right from the start of the record, we’re on the edge of our seats with the stunning title track’s ruthless rhythm, which sets the stage perfectly for all of the melodic might that’s about to come our way in the ten songs that follow.
The music video for the track is just as energetic and lively as the beats that it contains, taking us on a wild journey through the countryside with no one but The Respectables themselves to lead the way. Other standouts from The Power of Rock ‘N’ Roll include the pastoral “The Shotgun Seat,” blues grinder “Give Some” country rocker “Wheel in My Hand” and the freewheeling “18 Wheeler,” each of which
It’s not hard to see why The Respectables selected the title track to be this record’s leadoff single, but I absolutely think that other songs like “Mardi Gras” and “As Good as Love Gets” represent the larger narrative of this album just as well. For as much action as The Power of Rock ‘N’ Roll contains, there’s plenty of brooding ballads that balance out the rip-roar currents that define the more conventional rock numbers. “Oasis” stings us with its supple string play, but it doesn’t overshadow the stripped-down harmonies of “Limousine” nor the echoing optimism of “Highway 20” in the least.
This is a true road tripping LP if I’ve ever heard one, as much like the twists and turns that an asphalt-bound adventure has to offer us, it’s always full of surprises, and awfully hard to break away from once you’ve started down its unpredictable path. Whether it’s the bucolic lyrics that spark a fire in “18 Wheeler” or the twang-infected sway of “Wheel in My Hand,” The Respectables are bent on getting a physical reaction out of us on this album, and in my experience, they tend to get exactly what they want in every one of its eleven movements.
The tonality is raw and organic, the poetry surreal and sincere, and the energy simply off the charts and adrenaline-packed in this latest release from The Respectables, and to say that it’s well worth your time this month might be the biggest understatement of the year. If you’re keen on iconic indie rock originating north of the border, then there’s not much of a chance that you haven’t already heard this amazingly talented band before, but if you thought that you had seen the best of this unit in the past, you’d better think again.
The Power of Rock ‘N’ Roll marks a huge turning point for the band, and in my opinion, they’re sounding more in tune with each other and their medium than ever before – something I had once thought impossible for this skilled group of masterful musicians
