Steve’s weekly two

SteveK reviews The New Cities’ Lost in City Lights and Classified’s Self-Explanatory

The New Cities: Lost in City Lights

The New Cities are local talent, from here in Montreal.  My first exposure to them came when they played at the Confront Presents / MAP Music awareness concert for Parkinson’s awareness, last summer.

More than a few of us here at CONFRONT have seen them live since then, and we’ve all consistently enjoyed the experience.  Needless to say, when we heard about the upcoming release of their big-label debut ‘Lost in City Lights’ we were ecstatic.

I’ve had the chance to listen to ‘Lost in City Lights’ a couple of times now.  For those who know The New Cities, the live show is the album.  Those who don’t know The New Cities: they are an indie-pop band that use multiple keyboards and synthesizers along with traditional rock instruments in order to craft their unique sound.  Although the album sounds somewhat over-produced and a tad too electronic at times, it is nevertheless chock full of hits-waiting-to-hit.

The pop-star vocals contrast well with the darker lyrical content, and the catchy quasi-electronic rock hooks create an infectious beat on each track.  Songs of note include the opener, “Hypertronic Superstar”, “Looks Minus Substance”, and the eponymous “Lost In City Lights”  These are the songs that will be the instantly-identifiable New Cities songs, once this album drops next week.

‘Lost In City Lights’ has great potential to be one of this summer’s hot albums, and propel The New Cities into the much-deserved limelight.  Have a listen.

The New Cities: Lost In City Lights

Sony

Steve’s Rating: 8/10

Classified: Self Explanatory

With 13 albums in as many years, and coming from the same stable of Toronto rappers as his baby brother Mic Boyd, DL Incognito, and Eternia, Classified is both a veteran performer and a staple presence in the Toronto rap scene.

‘Self Explanatory’ is the latest effort from Classified, already garnering some critical praise and earning a spot on the Canadian Hot 100, for the single “Anybody Listening” and peaking at #25 on the Canadian Albums Chart.

While I’m no great fan of the Toronto Rap scene, Classified’s talent is not in doubt.  He’s produced most of his music himself, and ‘Self Explanatory’ is no exception.  The tracks have a solid and distinctive Urban Toronto sound, without much of the typical misogyny and self-aggrandizement so typical in the Rap and Hip-Hop scenes.

However, Classified does lose a lot of points with me for the glorification of drug use that purveys the songs on this album.  In fact, he spends quite a bit of time proselytizing about how wonderful it is to smoke weed.

Now, while I am the first to acknowledge that drug culture, music culture and youth culture are all irrevocably linked, I draw the line at encouraging drug use, especially when the target of encouragement is young, impressionable kids.  Recreational drug use is fine, as long as the users are being responsible, safe and informed.  Those three adjectives are not commonly associated with our nations’ young people.  Christ knows that when I was a teenager (and well into my twenties) I was anything but responsible, safe, or informed of the risks associated with my behaviour.  I don’t think I’d mind Classified’s drug talk so much, if he spent at least a little time rapping about the risks and consequences of drug use, and the difference between responsible use and abuse and addiction.

Classified: Self Explanatory

Sony

Steve’s Rating: 5/10