English Words:
Charlottetown was imprisoned in a sea of snow this winter. Perfect conditions for an artistic rebirth. English Words are back with an entire Sharpie’s worth of new songs borrowing heavily from a fresh palate of dance rhythms, samples, melodic and sometimes cinematic pop. Think: Happy Mondays, Star Wars, Legend of Zelda, Abba, DJ Shadow, Kanye West, and Tom Waits. Call it "Electro-Something", both ridiculous and justified. Wild Technicolor blasting through frozen white waves piled high on houses.
On January 15, 2010, surrounded by a typically packed hometown crowd, Charlottetown, PEI band Smothered In Hugs made a liberating on-stage announcement: they were changing their name to English Words. Accompanying this proclamation was a brand new four-song EP, which the band personally handed out for free to each fan in attendance. The EP, appropriately titled, Customer Appreciation, maintains the group’s tradition of intensely melodic, densely layered pop‑rock, but with cleaner edges, more breathing room and an added rhythmic focus. English Words consists of two song-writing brothers (Ryan and Aaron Crane), a close cousin (Todd MacLean), a childhood friend (Josh Byrne) and newest member, Andrew Murray.
The band’s debut LP The Healing Power Of Injury, released regionally in June of 2008, and nationally in February of 2009 was welcomed by rave reviews. The album received play on CBC Radio 1 (Q, DNTO) …
English Words:
Charlottetown was imprisoned in a sea of snow this winter. Perfect conditions for an artistic rebirth. English Words are back with an entire Sharpie’s worth of new songs borrowing heavily from a fresh palate of dance rhythms, samples, melodic and sometimes cinematic pop. Think: Happy Mondays, Star Wars, Legend of Zelda, Abba, DJ Shadow, Kanye West, and Tom Waits. Call it "Electro-Something", both ridiculous and justified. Wild Technicolor blasting through frozen white waves piled high on houses.
On January 15, 2010, surrounded by a typically packed hometown crowd, Charlottetown, PEI band Smothered In Hugs made a liberating on-stage announcement: they were changing their name to English Words. Accompanying this proclamation was a brand new four-song EP, which the band personally handed out for free to each fan in attendance. The EP, appropriately titled, Customer Appreciation, maintains the group’s tradition of intensely melodic, densely layered pop‑rock, but with cleaner edges, more breathing room and an added rhythmic focus. English Words consists of two song-writing brothers (Ryan and Aaron Crane), a close cousin (Todd MacLean), a childhood friend (Josh Byrne) and newest member, Andrew Murray.
The band’s debut LP The Healing Power Of Injury, released regionally in June of 2008, and nationally in February of 2009 was welcomed by rave reviews. The album received play on CBC Radio 1 (Q, DNTO), CBC Radio3 (R3-30 chartbuster, “Track Of The Day”, various podcasts) and entered the top 50 on Earshot Magazine’s weekly national campus and community radio report. Touring in support of the album found the band playing an Ontario tour with Toronto electro-rockers and ardent fans Holy Fuck. Additional touring included showcases at NXNE, POPMontreal, and the Halifax Pop Explosion with Collagen Rock label-mates Two Hours Traffic, Mardeen and The Danks. Other highlights include performing as the closing act at the 2009 Canada Summer Games Closing Ceremonies, a nationally televised event. The Healing Power Of Injury recently won 2010 Music PEI Rock Recording of the Year at the 9th Annual Music PEI Awards Gala and is nominated for 2010 ECMA Sirius Satellite Rock Recording of the Year.
"Yes, there’s a pronounced affection for the oddball, rapid-fire pop aesthetic of (Guided By Voices), but an almost equally large debt is owed to the early works of R.E.M., particularly in their penchant for unpredictable but wholly memorable melodic lines and the bit of Replacements-esque angst can’t be overlooked. Add in production values which eschews gloss for a certain cassette-tape fidelity and you’ve got a record that triggers a nostalgic aural endorphin rush."
- Chromewaves.net
"This is one of the best bands in Canada right now...these guys can’t stay underground much longer."
- BerkleyPlaceBlog.org
"8/10...their sound is more classic than retro, with the kind of gorgeous melodies, urgent pacing and reverb-soaked arrangements of riffs, piano and keys that will make some people swoon while others bust out the air guitar."
- Montreal Mirror (Lorraine Carpenter)
".....bright, cleverly articulated and occasionally manic rock of the angular pop variety....."
- Hour/ Ottawa XPress (Jamie O'Meara)
Brothers Ryan and Aaron Crane talked with Radio3's Grant Lawrence about the moniker switch. To hear this interview, go to: http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/Grant-Lawrence-Live and browse through the music player on the right.
