CD Odyssey Disc 1872: The Beaches

Welcome to a bonus content review, wherein Your Humble Author both provides a review a studio album (as per our longstanding social contract) and also some thoughts on a live show in support of same. If you just want the review, it follows immediately. If you just want the concert review scroll down past the review.

But don’t do that. Get the full benefit of your primary school education and show those studies about the internet destroying your ability to focus who’s boss. Read the words.

Disc 1872 is… No Hard Feelings

Artist: The Beaches

Year of Release: 2025

What’s up with the Cover? The actual cover for this album is a close up of a woman wearing a white bra, nipple shining through the fabric like a dark star. Not that half-nip that Prince teased us with back at Disc 1833. Full – albeit diffused – nip. I have no strong knowledge of content expectations on either of the platforms this review will appear on, but I’m going to err on the side of caution, so if you want the actual cover you can see it on this Wikipedia page.

Instead I offer you this (not very) exclusive viewing of…the back cover! Yes, proof positive I actually own the album.

This should totally have been the cover, and it shows the four members of the Beaches evoking a “coolest girls at the party” vibe. Which is exactly what they are.

How I Came To Know It: I have been a fan of the Beaches since 2018, when my friend Nick said, “hey, there’s this pretty cool band called the Beaches playing a show in town – want to go?”

I did go I’ve been going to their shows and buying their records ever since. Thanks, Nick!

How It Stacks Up: I have either four studio albums and three EPs, or three studio albums and four EPs (it’s complicated). Due to precedent established on earlier reviews, I go with the 3-4 over the 4-3 for…reasons. Of three studio albums “No Hard Feelings” comes in second out of three.

Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4

The Beaches know how to make great music, and they’ve been doing it for a long time. I was excited to dive into “No Hard Feelings” but on my first listen I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. They have definitely continued to move away from their earlier sound into what I feared would be a more “generic” approach. However, multiple listens won me over – aided by a well-timed live show (more on that later).

“No Hard Feelings” deploys the Beaches’ most complex arrangements yet, which is not always a feature, as I favour stripped down production over a lot of layers. I found myself initially wanting a little less going on. However, after multiple listens the top-notch songwriting (lyrically and melodically) won me over. It also helped to get a couple rounds in on headphones. Free of the background growl of my car engine, I was better able to catch the nuance and creativity I think the band was going for.

Thematically, the Beaches love to dig into relationships, and a lot of their best stuff explores the ones that didn’t work out. All those break ups must be trying for the band members, but they sure know how to convert all that drama into great songs.

They’re also not afraid to explore the not-great choices that can happen during a breakup. Nasty “I hate all the things about you” lyrics on “Can I Call You in the Morning?” are paired nicely with Jordan Miller literally singing to herself immediately prior “Don’t do it, Jordan don’t do it.” Of course she does, which is both raw in the moment and brave after it, and results in a great song.

While the record has LOTS of break up/party songs (and ‘party after a break up’ songs that do both), the Beaches are more than just party girls. “Lesbian of the Year” is a thoughtful and vulnerable exploration coming out later in life that grounds and “quietens” the record at just the moment that’s needed.

Whatever the song, the vocals of Jordan Miller continue to star. Throaty, playful and totally unique, she has a talent for phrasing and emoting that ensures that every emotionally complex song on the record, despite all the production bells and whistles, will still make you feel the feels.

In the end, “No Hard Feelings” is a master class of how to make a fun album full of party-oriented music without ever shying away from the darker side of why we sometimes party a little too late, drink a little too much, or shout a little too loud. It isn’t easy to have a great time while still 100% owning your shit, but the Beaches have the formula down, and once again we – their audience – are the beneficiaries.

Best tracks: Can I Call You in the Morning?, I Wore You Better, Dirty Laundry, Lesbian of the Year, Jocelyn

The Concert: October 25, 2025, Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena, Victoria BC

This was my fifth time seeing the Beaches live, so I already knew what to expect in terms of their high energy, brilliant showmanship and talented musicianship.

We arrived early for the merch table, and a good thing we did, as the lineup was enormous. I love a good concert tee so while I held our place in line, Sheila went forward armed with phone to take a photo of the options. This is a good strategy if you want to avoid being a slack-jawed gawker when you finally get to the front (n.b. – you want this).

In this case, it allowed Sheila and I to assess that none of the options struck our fancy. I now have a LOT of concert tees, and I am becoming more picky. Tees that just feature a photo of the band are generally out, and that’s most of what was on offer.

Fortunately, I already have two Beaches concert tees, including a very old “original logo” one that I was wearing, secretly hoping someone would say “wow – cool old tee shirt” or failing that, that I’d overhear someone whispering, “wow – that guy has a cool old concert tee.” These hopes overlooked the fact that as a middle aged man at a concert full of the Youngs, I was mostly invisible. Whatever – I was the only one wearing it so…go me.

Anyway, we bailed on the merch and instead stood around in the common area people watching for a while, before taking our seats.

Valley

The opening band was another Toronto band called “Valley” which does music in the same general genre of the Beaches. Sheila (who, unlike me, listens to the radio) said that she knew some of the songs from there. According to the Internet, Valley was even nominated for a Juno (Canadian Grammy) in 2025. So, neat.

Anyway, Valley played inoffensive and occasionally catchy pop tunes that are exactly what I expect from the radio when it is having a good day, but also why I don’t listen to it. It felt like what you’d hear younger kids playing around their campfire next to you at the beach. Not offensive, and it could have been worse, but just OK.

The set notably improved for the one song where main vocalist Rob Laska turned the mic over to bandmate Karah James (sorry, Rob), but that was only for one song.

Valley had good energy overall, and I bopped along, but about halfway through I knew I would not be exploring their music further later, which is the main goal of any opening act.

The Beaches

The Beaches took the stage as they always do, with energy already dialed all the way up to ten. This was their first ever indoor stadium show as a headliner (they’d come to town opening for The Glorious Sons in 2018, but I’d already seen them live earlier that year as a headliner, and so I skipped that show. Also, I find the Glorious Sons very ‘not glorious’).

Any concerns that the stage would be too for them was instantly dispelled. This quartet of talent has been doing the live show thing for over a decade and all that experience and dedication has paid off. Everything they do that is awesome – the banter, the moves, the tight yet organic performance - translated 100% to the bigger stage. I generally do not like stadium live shows, but the Beaches did things up right.

The set was predominantly songs from their last two albums, and as I noted in the album review above, hearing the new album performed live I realized that it was written with this partly in mind. It elevated those songs and made me appreciate the new record in a way I hadn’t before. That’s the mission of the headliner and…mission accomplished.

It even rehabilitated their overexposed hit, “Blame Brett” which I thought I had heard enough time for a while at this point. Instead, with the lights and the crowd participation and the delivery, the joy of this catchy bit of pop magic was reborn. A true stadium banger.

Everyone in the band is a natural on stage, but none more so than frontwoman Jordan Miller who had the audience in the palm of her hands throughout and clearly loved and fed off the experience.

The Beaches are pretty strict about sticking to their new material, and this show heavily featured songs from their last two records, but they did a special section “just for our Canadian fans” of old songs. I’ve never seen them do this before and hearing early tunes, including some of my favourites from 2017’s “The Late Show” (concert and album reviewed at Disc 1131) was a special treat. They updated the delivery, so I wasn’t hearing a staid performance of old tunes, but rather a reimagined delivery of tunes with bones so strong they sound good through any treatment.

It was also fun when Leandra Earl dedicated “Sorry for Your Loss” the LA Dodgers, while wearing a Blue Jays jersey. Lest you wonder where the loyalty of these Toronto gals lay in the ongoing World Series.

The show opened and closed with their latest banger, “Last Girls at the Party” and that’s exactly what the Beaches are. They are also the life of the party, and if you get a chance to see them live, you should do it. If you skip the opportunity, well then – as band member Leandra would say – I’m so sorry for your loss.

CD Odyssey Disc 1767: Ages and Ages and a Rifflandia overview

Up next my first review of a band I’ve been enjoying for years but only now is revealed to you through the power of a random dice roll.

If you prefer live concert reviews, we have that for you today as well, as I quickly break down the many live performances I saw at the Rifflandia music festival on Sunday.

Strap in and here we go.

Disc 1767 is…Me You They We

Artist: Ages and Ages

Year of Release: 2019

What’s up with the Cover? This is not a skeleton sitting on a chair. This is a person dressed up as a skeleton, sitting on a chair.

I imagine this is a mortal that was trying to cross over into Hades, maybe to visit a girlfriend that recently suffered an untimely death. He successfully got across the River Styx with the help of his costume and a timely bribe of two coins.

Unfortunately, after a routine sniff from Cerberus at customs revealed the distinct smell of living human flesh he was pulled aside and is now in a waiting room while some agents go through his backpack. Within, they will discover both a sandwich and deodorant – two things no self-respecting skeleton requires.

If he’s lucky he’ll just get swiftly deported and put on a “did not die” list (the underworld’s version of “do not fly”).

How I Came To Know It: Sheila and I went to Portland in 2019 to see a couple of concerts (Mountain Goats and Iron Maiden). Portland has some first-rate record stores, and I always bring my wish list to see if I can find any rarities or hard to find items.

I found some of those, but also noticed this brand new – and heretofore unknown to me - Ages and Ages album. Liking their earlier stuff, I bought it and hoped for the best.

How It Stacks Up: I have four Ages and Ages albums. Of those four I rank “Me You They We” at third best.

Ratings: 3 stars

“Me You They We” is the most gentle and melodic Ages and Ages record. Previous efforts have the same tight harmonies and call and answer elements as earlier records, but on “Me You They We” they double down on both sweet and smooth.

The result is a record that leaves you in a light and carefree mood. It was so pleasant that despite catching lyrics that felt anxiety inducing, or at least thought provoking, I kept finding myself floating back into pleasant reverie. Best to not pay too close attention, and let the music soothe me like it seemed to want to.

This is in contrast to earlier Ages and Ages records where I was drawn in and left thinking heavy thoughts on many of the songs. The wiki page suggests a considerable amount of turnover (two original band members, but sixteen former ones), and this likely in part accounts for the different sound.

There are elements where it is a bit too dreamy, and all that vocal and creative activity from earlier records isn’t quite there. The songs are delightful to relax in, but sometimes they need a bit more bottom end and dynamics to hold your attention.

While this left me wishing for the more complex arrangements over their first two records (less so, their third) there were still moments that capture the old magic, and none more so than on “Unsung Songs” a beautiful bit of harmony that feels like a choir of angels singing you to your rest (in heaven, not Hades). “Unsung Songs” slowly evolves from pure vocals into an increasingly dense sounding rock song, before reverberating into the ether, and settling back into the celestial ease where it started. It is a rewarding journey.

The worst track is “Just My Luck” which is emotionally empty and has an annoying central sound of someone repeatedly hitting a bunch of high notes on a piano that sounds like a kid discovering a chord, but other than this one clanger, the record ranges between inoffensively pretty or downright joyful.

Ages and Ages haven’t released a record since this one, and five years is a long time to wait. Their website suggests there is no active tour, and maybe they just faded into the light after this record. Given how light, airy and calming it is, it is an easy fate to imagine for them.

Best tracks:  Way Back To, Needle and Thread, Unsung Songs, Nothing Serious

The Concert – Various Bands at Rifflandia 2024, Victoria BC

It is that time of the year again when we all engage in a little “September Forever” magic and talk Rifflandia. (all photos below are by Sheila).

We only went on Sunday this week, but we went early and saw a lot of bands – seven in total - although two of these were truncated because at a festival you sometimes need to make real time decisions about what stage you’re going to go to or stay at. As the kids would say…FOMO!

To mix it up a little, I’m going to review these bands in the order I liked their performances, not in the order they played. Note that there were another eight bands that are not included here. I don’t review them because I didn’t watch them. I only regretted my decision of who to watch once – more on that below.

#1 L7

#1 and then some, L7 were the main reason I went to Rifflandia and I was not disappointed. Unbelievable punk rock energy from these badass ladies of rock and roll. They snarled their way through a 40-minute set that in any just world would have been twice that long. I felt immediately immersed in the rebellious energy, and the feeling remained – along with a bit of ringing in my ears – long after they stopped playing. L7 – you make my…hit list.

#2 Janky Bungag

Janky is an alt country singer from Vancouver and the main reason I wanted to get to the festival early (he was one of the first acts). He was worth the early arrival. Personable, believable and a great songwriter. He was also funny, as he sang song after song about loveable lowlifes. The only tour shirt I bought other than L7 and the only regret was he wasn’t also selling CDs.

#3 The Beaches

This was my fifth time seeing the Beaches, making them second only to Frank Turner. There is a reason the Beaches are a must-see event. Not only do they write great rock and roll songs, they are amazing live. Full of energy (despite just flying in from PEI), plenty of power and no small amount of mischief. Lead singer/bassist Jordan Miller oozes charisma, but frankly the whole band does, and I once again enjoyed the spectacle of one of Canada’s great live experiences.

#4 La Force

La Force is a woman who sings alt pop tunes with a voice of liquid gold. I didn’t find these songs catchy so much as immersive, but it was easy to fall into her sound. I don’t think I will go out of my way to buy a La Force record, but she was solid.

#5 Wooden Horsemen

Blues bar rock with a trumpet. Every rock band could add a trumpet in my opinion, and the Wooden Horsemen brought that trumpet to bear with zest. These songs weren’t exactly innovative, but they did get my feet tapping. Again, won’t buy the record, but had a good time all the same. Kudos the woman playing tambourine and singing back up who put her all into the performance. Also, did I mention the trumpet?

#6 K-OS

I admit I left this show halfway through to go take in the Beaches. I’d seen K-OS about twenty years ago when he was first making it big and I’d liked him then. His show has changed a lot. Much less innovative DJ action, and more of a mélange of crowd engagement activity. His rap is still great (including some freestyling I believe) but I needed a lot more of that, and a lot less exhortations for me to sing along to samples of old rock songs. Bonus points for the B-Boy dude whose only job appeared to be walking around looking cool and breaking out dance moves. He did a fine job of both.

#7 Crash Test Dummies

The Crash Test Dummies hadn’t been to Victoria in 30 years. The last time they were here they played on the lawn of the legislature at a free show that was worth exactly what it cost. One of the worst five shows I have ever seen. This time they were better, but it was a low bar to clear, and they didn’t clear it by much. The set list was uninspired and other than “Superman’s Song” largely forgettable. At one point they danced around in a way that felt like a Sharon, Lois and Bram show, but with less energy. I regret not leaving and going to see the Cro-Mags.

Apart from that one bummer show experience, this was one of the best lineups of  any Rifflandia in recent memory, and well worth the price of admission and $14 cans of cider.

CD Odyssey Disc 1732: The Beaches

Welcome back to the CD Odyssey and the almost unheard of third blog post in as many days. I don’t know when that happened last but my best guess is…never. If you haven’t been around for a bit, keep scrolling down for 1) a review of the next record 2) a Concert Battle between Ice Cube and Katie Pruitt and 3) a review of Christian rock artist Miss Angie.

You know what you won’t find in this flurry of entries (or in any future ones)? The 2023 eponymous debut of folk/country artist Mikaela Davis and Southern Star. I gave that record my second listen on the weekend and was so uninspired I decided I couldn’t suffer through the requisite third that leads to a full review. Instead that bit of sleepy self-indulgent tune-making is going straight to the sell pile.

Faring much better is this next record- enjoy!

Disc 1732 is…Heights

Artist: The Beaches

Year of Release: 2014

What’s up with the Cover?  All these swirls and splashes of colour are a reminder that there are many kinds of art in the world. If you are wondering what this kind is, it’s the bad kind.

How I Came To Know It: As an avowed fan of the Beaches this was just me digging through their back catalogue. I picked this one up at the merch table of one of their shows. I bought a T-shirt as well. That could’ve been you, Katie Pruitt, if you’d brought merch to your show!

How It Stacks Up: Attentive readers will know that my Beaches discography is divided between two LPs and four EPs. I had held space for “Heights” to take spot 3 on the EP list but it was not able to achieve those…heights. Get it? Get it? As a result I must put this album in at #4. I still liked it, but I liked the other three EPs just a little bit more.

Rating: 3 stars

The Beaches just don’t make bad records. It isn’t in their DNA. This quartet of rockers have found a sweet spot midway between catchy and crunchy and they ride that wave like a professional surfer. So while “Heights” isn’t as consistently strong as some of their other work, it has plenty to recommend it.

The album’s best track is the first one you hear. “Strangelove” has an insistent frenetic energy that makes you want to drive a car and drive it fast. The song has the tough girl delivery of the Shangri-Las with the benefit of modern amps and more guitar. 

Like most great Beaches songs they artfully know when to strip away the instrumentation and leave space in the song for a guitar riff here, a drum beat there, alternating from thick arrangements full of power and interludes that let you appreciate the component pieces that make it all happen. Jordan Miller’s vocals are also a star here. Her phrasing is impeccable and her slightly lower register is sweet and tough in equal measure.

“Strangelove” is followed by “Little Pieces” which is thicker and demonstrates the generally more saturated sound on “Heights” compared to some Beaches records. This song is rougher around the edges, but the band still knows how to navigate perfect timing as drum, guitar, vocal and bass come in and exit the mix in a rock and roll symphony.

The next two tracks (“Zsa Zsa”, “The Dance”) also have these qualities but they aren’t quite as hook heavy. The Beaches are so talented at writing catchy rock and roll that when I get songs like these, which have a busier sound, I find myself longing for a bit more separation. They aren’t bad, but they didn’t hold my attention as well as the album’s opening.

The album ends with “Hey, I Love You” which returns the band to form, once again demonstrating their talent for making hook writing seem effortless (note: it is not). “Hey, I Love You” has three or four musical ideas going on and does a solid job of amalgamating them into a thematic whole. Ultimately, I wanted those ideas to drive to a stronger melodic conclusion, but I still enjoyed the journey.

Like most EPs of the “good” kind, “Heights” was over far too soon for my liking, but it had plenty to recommend it. While not as consistent as some of their other EPs, it is a worthy entry in the catalogue of a great band.

Best tracks: Strangelove, Little Pieces

CD Odyssey Disc 1571: The Beaches

I’m back from an event-packed weekend, ready to provide you a music review AND a concert review. First the album, and then scroll down for the corresponding concert.

Disc 1571 is…. Future Lovers EP (as part of the “Sisters Not Twins” re-release)

Artist: The Beaches

Year of Release: 2021

What’s up with the Cover? The band, resplendent in colour. This is the second record in a row where the band embraces the old school “four of us stand in a line” cover and I’m liking it. I hope they keep it up. It isn’t a great T-shirt, though. More on that later.

How I Came To Know It: Somehow this album eluded me as an EP. I caught up to it by accident when it was re-released as the “Sisters Not Twins [the Professional Lovers Album]”. This was basically the 2021 Future Lovers EP paired with the 2019 EP, “The Professional”. I never did see “Future Lovers” on its own, but it all worked out in the end.

How It Stacks Up: I have five Beaches albums, consisting of four EPs and one LP. Or, if you count “Sisters Not Twins” as a full LP, the count is three and two.

This double count is because “Sisters Not Twins” combines the band’s previous two EPs. And it doesn’t just put them both on one disc, it mixes the tracks up in a whole new order. In this way it is all its own record and should probably be reviewed as such.

However, that ship sailed, because I reviewed “the Professional” EP back in February 2020 (Disc 1340).  Rather than talk about all those songs all over again, let’s just focus on what’s new to me, and that’s the five tracks from “Future Lovers”.

Still with me? OK, let’s rank it pretending it is just the EP, meaning I have four EPs and one LP. Of the four EPs, I rank “Future Lovers” at #4. Hey, something had to be last…

Ratings: 3 stars

“Future Lovers” has the classic Beaches sound: anthem-inspiring tunes with a little thump and a lot of jump. As Tom Haverford would say, these gals know how to write a quality banger.

The best of the bunch is “Bad Behaviour” which has fuzzed out guitar sound mixed with a jaunty vocal delivery by Jordan Miller:

“Said shе was tired
Of stayin' up getting wired
Now she lives in Berlin
With Steampunk Italians”

It isn’t a song about a lot of deep thought, mostly about living the fast life, but none of that matters. Like any good pop song it is barely over three minutes long, ends early, and leaves you wanting more.

I also dig “Blow Up” which is that antsy feeling of being at one club and wanting to go to another one hoping it will be better. I think. I understand this feeling, but in my clubbing days I was much more likely to want to nest in the first reasonable club I came upon. Nothing worse than feeling your sweat cool off and your beer buzz fade on a frosty Autumn evening, waiting in some line you could have avoided simply by staying at the club you were already at. But I digress…

While the album is mostly “bangers” or at least songs aspiring to the title, there are some sweet spots, notably “You Don’t Owe Me Anything” which features Jordan’s sweet, slightly sad vocals as she sings about a no-strings attached one night stand. The song rambles a little, with Jordan doing a bit of talking over the tune. Ordinarily this would annoy me (sing it!) but here she reminded me favourably of the Shangri-Las with her mix of tough and tender.

The record overall is solid, but it suffers a bit by comparison with their previous release. And it doesn’t help that my copy is mixed in with the five songs from “The Professional”. While good, with the exception of “Bad Behaviour” the tunes on “Future Lovers” just aren’t quite at the same level.

Fortunately, it is still a Beaches record, and even their weakest EP is still a lot of fun.

Best tracks: Bad Behaviour, Blow Up

The Concert: July 11, 2022 at the Philips Brewery Backyarder, Victoria

Yes, you read that correctly! Concerts have returned, and this was the return of the Backyarder, which after a couple years of COVID cancellations came back with a vengeance in 2022, with three separate weekends of music.

This past weekend was the second of the three, which was called “Tilt” for reasons that I did not care enough to investigate. I was just happy to have a show to go see, and even happier that my lovely wife Sheila (who usually hates any kind of outdoor festival) decided to give it a chance as well.

Tilt had five bands but since Sheila and I were only interested in the last two on the ticket we went for dinner first, and showed up late, just in time to catch the ‘opener’…

Before that started though, there was plenty of time for people watching in the late afternoon summer sun. Festival crowds are interesting, with a lot of people wearing boring but comfortable athleisure, peppered with every tenth person dressed up either nice, weird, or nice and weird.

While other middle-aged folks were there, we were decidedly in the minority and the vast majority were well under 35. Everyone was well behaved and the sheer variety in the crowd made for some quality people watching.

But enough about the people – here are the two bands we saw. Also, since we like to patronize the merch table, I’ve also provided a “merch rating” which I think a fine feature for these live show reviews, and something I may keep doing down the road.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids

First up were the Snotty Nose Rez Kids, which is a hip hop band from the Haisla Nation, located in Northwest BC. I’ve been a fan for a few years now, and if you want to know more about the band read my reviews at Disc 1377 and Disc 1526.

As for the live show, I was nervous. When I see hip hop live it sometimes feels like the bass overpowers any chance to hear the lyrics and you just get a bunch of close-mic muffling.

Not so the Rez Kids. They are old school in approach and keeping the arrangements simple also lets you hear what’s going on very well. They had a great energy and played a set full of my favourites. Their banter was a bit by the numbers, but it was full of energy (at one point just getting the crowd to chant the “Energy! Energy! Energy!” which seemed a bit on point.

Merch rating: A. SNRK had at least five different concert t shirts and they were all awesome. This included a play on Iron Maiden album covers, which featured hip hop versions of Eddie. Sheila got one of those. I went with a cool looking ghost/shipwreck design. I’m a sucker for a nautical theme.

Beaches

This is the third time I’d seen the Beaches. There’s a reason I’ve been that many times, and why I would go again tomorrow; the Beaches are great live. This time around I could really only see the top third of them from my vantage point, but that was still enough to know they still had the magic.

The Beaches are pure rock energy. This time around they were all dressed in bright colours, so even at a distance it was easy to pick up all their high kicks, hair twirls and general derring-do.

Armed with even more crowd-pleasing songs from their latest album (see above for details), they were once again on top of their game. The Beaches look young but they’ve been making music for a good ten years now, and it shows. They play as a true band, feeding off each other with an easy vibe that felt even more rollicking in front of so many drunk and stoned revelers.

They divided their show up into two equal halves that fully rocked out, with a caesura of three slow bummer songs that felt like they were there so you could grab a beer and your breath before the second half of the set kicked off. I thought the slow tunes were lost a bit in the bigger venue, but the overall effect of creating some layers to the performance worked well.

There were a couple of minor issues with the show. First, the sound was a bit over-amped to start causing the guitars to fuzz out in a not-good way, but by about song three or four, the mix was sorted out. I’ll always forgive a bit of off-sound early in a show, as long as it gets fixed, and here it did.

The Beaches do need to work on their banter. While they clearly like each other, they have a tendency to talk over each other in a way that prevents you hearing any of them very well. Also, when I could hear them, they tended to ramble. I know its artificial to do a prepared schtick every night, but they might want to have roughly blocked out a bit of the dialogue in advance.

These are both minor quibbles, however. The Beaches are one of my favourite bands to see live, and I’ve seen a few. They are all gifted musicians who love to perform, and it shows.

Merch Rating: Average. The Beaches had a cool new font and a funky yellow shirt, but it also had cutouts of all their heads. Band shirts should be artsy, not just a picture of the band.

CD Odyssey Disc 1340: The Beaches

This next review is of a band I saw in concert earlier in the week. For my thoughts on the concert scroll down, but first – as is my tradition – I’ve reviewed their newest studio release.

Disc 1340 is…The Professional

Artist: The Beaches

Year of Release: 2019

What’s up with the Cover? Four very young-looking Beaches. If I heard correctly at the concert (dialogue was tough to pick up) I think they said this picture was from when they were in high school. Since then, Kylie Miller (far right) has gone blonde. And Leandra Earl (far left) has gone reddish-brown.

Here Earl is making what appears to be a tiger claw with her hand, but she could just be dancing. Or maybe just waving. It’s hard to tell.

How I Came to Know It: When I heard the Beaches were coming to town to play a live show I wondered what album they were touring. Turns out it was this one, which I had missed when it was released. I picked up a copy at the show, along with a nifty tour shirt.

How much do I pay for my rock and roll lifestyle? That night, I paid $50.

How It Stacks Up: I have four Beaches albums. Only one is full length, and the other three (including “The Professional”) are all EPs. I like the full album best, but it is in a category of its own. Of the three EPs, “The Professional” comes in at #2.

Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4

Since their first album, the Beaches have displayed a knack for writing catchy tunes. On their latest EP, “The Professional” they prove they’ve still got the touch.

The Beaches have carved out a nice piece of territory mid-way between pop and rock. This stuff is radio friendly, but it has enough angst and guitar punch to give it the gravitas it needs. “The Professional” is their most smoothly produced album to date, and that rock-edge is critical, because without it this record would be all polish with no grit.

Polished or otherwise, the band plays tight little rock songs that are catchy as hell. They gave me a swagger to my step walking around town. The style elements are typical of bands in the digital download/streaming age: it is all over the map. No longer are bands limited to the 50 records in their parents’ collection and the 50 more at various friends’ houses. Now the entire catalogue of 60+ years of modern music is at their fingertips.

On “The Professional” I got hints of early eighties pop, anthemic nineties alt-rock and modern dance music. The songs aren’t new in terms of their individual components, but the Beaches do a great job of blending these influences into something uniquely their own.

After a couple of bright up-tempo rock songs with “Desdemona” and “Fascination” the band starts the third track, “Snake Tongue” with some ethereal keyboard from Leandra Earl. This song is the best one on the album in terms of showing off Jordan Miller’s vocals, as well as representing the best of their sound. I believe the song is about the rude gestures that assholes make at pretty women, described in the chorus as:

“Cold snake tongue stuck in between

Two fingers shaped like a V

O why would you think I’d want to meet you?”

There are many great lines in this song, but my favourite is:

“Just because I’ve got this fresh face

Doesn’t mean I want to taste your toothpaste.”

It’s a nice reminder that this is not the way to appreciate a young and beautiful woman. Sadly, the assholes in question are probably not listening. Assholes are like that. At least the rest of us can feel that – through the Beaches – someone is at least telling them off.

Another favourite for me was “Want What You Got”. With its staccato delivery and dance pop vibe, it reminded me heavily of early Lady Gaga. If you listen to the lyrics, it’s a song about envy and the weight of expectations that – young or old – we all feel from time to time. If you don’t listen to the lyrics that’s OK too, because the song has a great bassline and a groovy guitar riff as well. So bob your head to the groove, or beweep your outcast state, as the spirit moves you in the moment.

As advertised, the album is an EP and only has five songs, which was not enough new content for me after waiting impatiently for the last two years, but I’ll take what I can get. Fortunately, even after many repeat listens (four in total, and a fifth and sixth as I write this) I never got tired of the songs. Any of these tracks could be radio hits and I am once again flummoxed what it takes to make a hit record in these troubled times. I hope this will do it for the Beaches.

Best tracks: Desdemona, Snake Tongue, Want What you Got

The Concert: February 7, 2020 at the Capital Ballroom, Victoria

This was my second time seeing the Beaches, and after my first experience (reviewed back at Disc 1131) I had high expectations.

Knowing the limited seating at the Capital Ballroom, Sheila and I got there early and staked out our favourite spot up in the mezzanine. Most of our friends prefer the floor (which probably has better sound) but the older I get the less I enjoy being jostled by drunks.

As is tradition at the Capital Ballroom, you can arrive at seven o’clock, but don’t expect to be entertained for an hour or more. It being a school night for me, I bought a single tall can of beer and prepared to wait out the time until the opening band came on.

Hunny

That band was Hunny, an alternative rock band from California. I had checked out a few songs in advance of the show, but they hadn’t floated my boat, so I was hoping their live show would be better.

As it happened, Hunny turned out to be…OK. Their music reminded me heavily of the Killers, with a bit of Blink 182 thrown in from time to time. Unfortunately, I don’t like either one of those bands. A couple of their tracks mimicked that distinctive Cure guitar sound from the eighties that is “in” with a lot of bands right now. I do like that sound and those tracks were the best of the set, even though there weren’t enough of them.

Hunny was also limited by the venue’s very small stage and the fact that they had to perform around all of the Beaches’ gear. The lead singer had about a two-foot square at the front of the stage to do his thing, and was clearly irritated by this, as anyone would be.

Their bass player also lost his feed for a brief time. Watching him fuss with the outputs and feeds was mildly distracting for me, but probably sheer hell for him. He handled it better than the singer handled the lack of space, although he did at one point confer with the drummer about his plight (who I like to think said something like “I would love to help you out, bra, but I’m totally busy drumming back here”).

The Beaches:

After Hunny departed, and another overlong “please drink more beers” interlude, the Beaches finally took the stage.

Once again, the Toronto quartet did not disappoint, bringing an immediate energy and joy that quickly infected the crowd. The band was a tiny bit looser than I remember them (which is to be expected, given it was the first night of their tour) but it was a very tiny bit and they still sounded great.

The Beaches have great chemistry with both the crowd and with each other. It is clear they like what they do, and they deliver a good mix of impromptu and unscripted dancing and leaping about, along with a couple set pieces where they jump or pose in unison.

They sounded a bit muddy to start the show, but they got the mix right about four songs in and things started to soar.  They played a good mix of early classics, hits from their 2017 album “The Late Show” as well as most of the new EP. It was the exact way I like a live show setlist, and I pretty much heard every song I was hoping for.

The Beaches even threw in a cover of Kylie Minogue’s 2001 smash hit “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” Guitarist Kylie Miller took the lead vocals on this one, making it a “Kylie covers Kylie” moment which I enjoyed. The cover didn’t blow me away, but I always like to hear an odd cover track at a live show and welcomed the surprise.

Main vocalist and bassist Jordan Miller was as brilliant as ever. She’s a gifted frontwoman, who knows how to strike a pose at the right time, and how to walk the line between tough and sexy. Her sister Kylie had some solid moments on the guitar, and while she was really loving the reverb pedal, it never detracted from the songs. Kylie has lots of moves of her own, ranging from “damsel scampers about” to “Goth girl stares wistfully into space.”

My favourite woman in the band was once again keyboardist Leandra Earl, however. Earl has a natural groove to her movement that is infectious, and the way she swaps rhythm guitar and keyboard back and forth so seamlessly (sometimes within a single song) is impressive. She also displayed high kicks that reminded me of the famous Crispin Glover appearance on Letterman, but thankfully minus the unhinged mania.

This being the first show, the band was still finding their footing with their between-songs banter, with Jordan Miller and Earl talking over each other a couple of times in their mutual excitement to tell a story.

The crowd was excellent, being enthusiastic and respectful of both one another and the band. I saw very little in the way of excessive filming or photos, and for the most part hands were in the air only to clap or fist pump, not to block someone’s vision with a fucking iPhone.

I knew early on that the gap by the railing between our table and the table next to us would be filled with someone, and was lucky it ended up being a young couple who squeezed into the space without aggression, and were totally respectful of my sight-lines and personal space.

All in all, it was another great show by the Beaches that leaves me hoping I’ll get a chance to see them again.

CD Odyssey Disc 1164: The Beaches

I had a lovely Sunday afternoon reading and listening to music. I’ve still got a backlog of a little over new (to me) albums and every Sunday I can I sit and give those records the attention they deserve. This next album is also from the new (to me) section as well.

Disc 1164 is… Self-Titled

Artist: The Beaches

Year of Release: 2013

What’s up with the Cover? I’m a negative beach, I’m a negative beach, I’m a negative beach…with a crow.

Sometimes the joke is for everyone. Sometimes, it’s for only a few.

How I Came To Know It: Earlier this year my friend Nick discovered the Beaches. I bought this album (plus their other two EPs) at the merch table at the show.

How It Stacks Up:  I have three Beaches albums. One is full length (“The Late Show” reviewed at Disc 1131), plus this one and one other EP, 2014’s “Heights”. “The Late Show” sort of stands on its own, but of the two EPs, this one is the best.

Ratings: 4 stars

Lately I’ve needed a jolt of energy, and the furious and fun debut EP from all-Canadian hard rock band “The Beaches” was exactly the tonic the doctor ordered.

The Beaches are a breath of fresh and ion-charged air dropping lightning bolt rock riffs into songs that have hooks so infectious they make pop songs jealous. While the songs on their eponymous EP have a less polished feel than the Beaches’ more recent releases these are still incredibly catchy songs.

Just as importantly, there is an edge at the core of the Beaches that gives their music heft. These are not pop starlets, these are rock stars. If in 2013 the world didn’t know it yet, you can tell by the way they play that these four women did. More importantly, they have the talent throughout the lineup to back that confidence up.

So what are these songs about? I am often a lyrics guy, but I didn’t care that much on this record; I just enjoyed rocking out. When I did tune in to the words, I heard songs about rebellion, youth and a band with a willingness to see through their own bullshit. It makes for songs that are pure joy on the surface, but have an emotional depth that makes them better on each listen.

All the tracks are good, but I like the heavy thud and rebellious reverb of “Loner.” On the surface the band poses a lot of theories about who they are, including lines like:

“Maybe I'm a stoner, maybe I'm a loner

Maybe I'm cross, maybe I'm lost

Maybe I'm a loser, maybe I'm a keener

Maybe I'm gone”

But what you really take away is not self-loathing, but rather a deeper message that says, “think what you want, jackass – I define myself.” Hmmm…I guess that applies to over-wise bloggers as well. I sure hope it does.

On “Youth Lament” they strip down the production and sing about the enormous weight we feel when we’re young. Everything can be harder then, because you haven’t done it before. It’s a song that simultaneously showcases their own vulnerability, and provides succor for those who need it. The Beaches provide comfort, singing:

“It's only the beginning

The start has just been triggered

The bells they keep on ringing

You're part of a neverending story

Your lines have not been written

One day you'll see the morning

But you're young.”

Hearing these lines I’m not sure if lead singer Jordan Miller is singing them to her audience, or herself – probably a bit of both.

There is the air of Canadian rock royalty about this band. “The Late Show” was produced by Metric front-woman Emily Haines and this EP was produced by “Our Lady Peace” singer Raine Maida. Ordinarily this would offend my iconoclastic sensibilities (I don’t even like “Our Lady Peace”). However I can’t muster any outrage because “The Beaches” are just that good. It is early days, but I expect they could one day be bigger than both their patrons. If they aren’t, then it will just be more proof of the arbitrary nature of fame in the music world. If they are then hey – finally a little justice and fairness in a world that needs more of both.

So I wish these guys well, even as I wait impatiently for what they’re going to do next.

Best tracks: Loner, Boy Wonder, Youth Lament, Kids

CD Odyssey Disc 1131: The Beaches

Sometimes an album just comes along at the right time and you know it is going to make a splash. That’s how I felt listening to this next record.

Disc 1131 is… Late Show

Artist: The Beaches

Year of Release: 2017

What’s up with the Cover? The Beaches chill out in a theatre, getting their sixties on. No, they do not always dress like it’s 1968 but they pull it off here.

How I Came To Know It: About a week ago my buddy Nick suggested we go see the Beaches live. I’d never heard of them, but he sent along a few clips and I liked what I heard. While I was at the show I bought three of their CDs, including this one. I also bought a tour shirt and a set of stickers. How much do I pay for my rock and roll lifestyle? Too much, but not more than I can afford.

How It Stacks Up:  The Beaches have a couple of EPs but this is their only full length album. I suppose I could try to stack up the EPs, but since I haven’t even listened to them yet, it seems pointless. Let’s just move on to the rating, shall we?

Ratings: 4 stars

 “The Late Show” is the first full length album from all-girl alt-rock band The Beaches and they’ve already won a Juno. I could care less about the Junos, but listening to this record for the last couple of days made me excited for this band’s burgeoning success.

Sometimes bands just know who they are and how to make the best of it, and that’s how it feels with the Beaches. Listening to “Late Show” I could hear the echo of dozens of other great bands, including Green Day, the Go-Gos, Sleater Kinney, the Pack AD and Sheer Mag to name a few. It is a blend of power pop, hard rock, and hints of synth and funk all mixed up into something…new.

The melodies are ear-worms and summer sing along anthems, but the Beaches are not content with fun-in-the-sun pop. This record also packs some serious crunch where it is called for, and even sneaks in a bit of experimental organ in the background when you aren’t looking.

The record is exquisitely arranged. The songs build slow, crescendo into full rock crunch and then sit back again to draw you in for the next wave. The guitar licks are restrained and energized and I’m not sure I’ve heard better placed or delivered hand claps and shouts of “woo!” The album gets you excited and keeps you excited.

“Gold” features the whole band singing the last word at the end of every verse, creating a chant-like effect that makes you want to throw your hand in the air, bob your head in time and sing along. Go ahead and do that – it feels good and don’t worry, when they switch off the chant effect for the chorus there are handclaps, so you’ll still be able to participate.

I’m almost disappointed with how catchy this stuff is. I like it, but I can see it becoming ubiquitous in the same way that Portugal.The Man has become earlier in the year. I liked that record but have soured on it since hearing “Feel It Still” a billion times. I hope it doesn’t happen to “Late Show” but I even if it does I think it’ll be OK – I just like these songs too much and besides, I want this band to succeed.

Everyone in the band plays well. The drums are crisp, and the guitar grooves. Vocalist Jordan Miller is able to deliver a punk vibe in her lower register and then hit power pop notes up high. The effect is a clever mix of crunch and sugar. On “Back of My Heart” she channels early Ann Wilson and pulls it off. Even when she is singing a light hearted ditty about wearing a boyfriend’s T-shirt she rocks out. I searched for signs of insincerity and empty gimmickry but I couldn’t find any.  It is all a bit pop around the edges, but it is really good pop.

In terms of subjects, a lot of the album deals with the rise to stardom, recognizing that haters are gonna hate, with a focus on the challenges women face in rock and roll, particularly around image. On “Late Show” the Beaches successfully walk the line between staying sexy and doing it on their own terms.

Most of the album is high energy rock and roll, but on “Highway 6” they strip it down to a synthy mood piece as Jordan Miller’s dreamy regret-laden voice sings:

“Isn’t it so funny

How beautiful you are

When you’re walking out the door…”

But before the song can pull you too far down, the title track comes on with a guitar riff reminiscent of “American Idiot” and just as catchy. The Beaches won’t let you stay down and the final three songs all rock out again, ending up with “Sweet Life” where the ladies dream of  “…milkshakes full of pills/and a big empty house up on the hill” and “stiff drinks, cheap love and a fire.”

There’s that rush to stardom again, and even as they celebrate it they are aware of the pitfalls that may await them. It is a clever way to end a solid record – cautionary and celebratory in equal measure. And yes there are hand claps and plenty of “woo-ooos!” to close things out as well.

Best tracks: Hard to pick just a few…so I won’t. Back of My Heart, Money, T-Shirt, Turn Me On, Gold, Highway 6, Late Show, Sweet Life

The concert: Sunday, April 22, 2018 at the Capital Ballroom, Victoria

Based on their videos I had a feeling the Beaches would be good, but I was not prepared for just how amazing this show was. These women are on the road to stardom, and I feel privileged to have seen them on the way up.

After a busy weekend I wasn’t terribly excited to go see a show on a Sunday night but I really liked what I’d heard from the Beaches so I decided to give it a go. After all, I’m not going to look back in twenty years and regret missing that night sitting in front of the television.

It doesn’t help that the Capital Ballroom opens at seven but routinely makes you sit around drinking for a couple of hours before anything happens. I fill a bit of that time getting a prime seat (which are hard to find, and harder to guard) and hitting the merch table. The Beaches get full marks for a solid merch table, with a good selection ‘manned’ by an engaging and beautiful woman covered in tattoos. My one beef was that they took Visa, which slows down the lineup to a crawl. I feel like the merch table is one of the last “cash only” bastions out there, and we should keep it that way for at least a little longer.

The opening act was Taylor Knox, a tall skinny alt-rock kid who did everything right. He introduced himself, made sure to give a shout out to the headliner and played well. He had a seventies look and a nineties sound and while it didn’t inspire me to go back to the merch table for his album, he was a solid opener.

Then the Beaches hit the stage and it was like the arrival of a hurricane. Star power washed off these women before they played a note. Some bands are lucky to have one person that has the “it” factor. All four women in the Beaches have it – a palpable “look at me and don’t look away” power that you can’t fake and you can’t teach.

The drummer, Eliza Enman-McDaniel has a Tank Girl punk vibe, as she hunches over the drums with a feverish, inwardly focused intensity. Bassist/lead vocalist Jordan Miller has a coquettish power and a hundred different ways to stylishly swing a bass while she winks at you and smiles in a way that says “yeah, I’m teasing you a little, but you like it.” Guitarist Kyle Miller channels the Go-Go’s Jane Wiedlin with high kicks and punk pop style. Keyboardist Leandra Earl looks like she fell out of the seventies with bell bottom pants that she performed shoulder high kicks in while playing the organ.

With the possible exception of Enman-McDaniel (who still draws you in with her intensity) every woman loves the spotlight. Despite this they never seem to be competing for your attention. Instead, like a well-mixed song, their performance lets your focus shift back and forth and take it all in. They seem genuinely happy to share the stage with each other.

And that’s just how they perform, because as a band they are musically powerful and precise. A typical Beaches song relies heavily on precision timing, and these women have it. Despite all the brilliant stage moves, they never miss their cue. Earl was particularly impressive. In addition to keyboards, she plays guitar often taking complicated lead licks. At one point she was playing the keyboards with one hand and the guitar with the other.

If there was one negative it was that the mix – for the most part excellent – was a little low on both Earl’s keyboard and her mic. She was doing some pretty cool effects and I wanted to hear them a bit better, but by keeping the organ back in the mix they established a much more powerful rock vibe, which I think was the idea.

The Beaches have a confidence in themselves and each other that is undeniable and it is with good reason. These are four very talented women with personality to spare armed with an album full of potential hits.

The crowd on the floor – mostly twenty-somethings – were fully into the show as well, many singing along or filling in hand claps from the album at exactly the right moment. Overall this was one of the best rock shows I’ve ever been to, and I’ve been to a few.

Victorians lucky enough to be at the show should savor the experience because this is a band on the rise that might not be back for a while. They’re off to be stars.