Mobile - Tales From The City Review
Posted by Dan Marsicano on 12.21.2008
Canadian rock band Mobile hasn't made a big splash in the U.S. yet, but their sophomore album Tales From The City could do just that. Does the band have what it takes to make an impact in the states?
The Band
Mat Joly-Vocals
Christian Brais-Guitar, Keyboards
Frank Williamson-Guitar
Dominic Viola-Bass
Pierre-Marc Hamelin-Drums
The Track Listing
1. Daylight Breaks-5:24
2. Mother-4:14
3. Hit The Floor #7-3:51
4. The Killer-3:41
5. No Tomorrow-3:55
6. Gravity-4:46
7. Slow Motion Car Crash-3:37
8. Sweet Light-3:43
9. Live To Find-3:57
10. All Is Forgiven (Parts I-II-III)-7:42
The Review
The name Mobile might sound foreign to you. That’s okay; most Americans who keep themselves sheltered away from anything that isn’t on the radio probably are in the same boat. The Canadian rock band hasn’t made much of a dent in the U.S. so far. Sure, they’ve gone on a few tours around these parts, but Mobile has mostly kept to the safe zone of their home country. That’s why Tales From The City seemed to come out of left field. While you can order the album online, the best bet is ITunes. So if you want a hard copy, you may have to do some research to find it.
That research might be worth it though. Mobile has crafted a fine rock album, one that isn’t the most original piece of music out there today, but takes all the band’s influences and combines them into ten varied tracks. One minute will be a distorted, edgy rock song and the next will have a funky bass line that would make George Clinton proud. However, the album suffers through a few missteps along the way, with a closing track that may seem epic due to the length, but ends up fizzing out instead of concluding on a high note.
“Daylight Breaks,” a song the band has been keeping on the shelves for over half a decade, opens up Tales From The City with an atmospheric keyboard/drum section before the whole band comes in for a energetic and upbeat melody. While possibly unintentional, The Killers immediately came to mind in sound. “Mother” has a heavy bass presence and Mat’s vocals, plus the soaring guitar work, could be mistaken for an early U2 song.
Not every song on Tales From The City is based off another popular band. The middle portion of the album is where the band kicks it into high gear, adding in some funk and disco-esche elements into their sound. Mobile becomes a catchy, early 80’s pop-rock band in the blink of an eye. Single “The Killer” and “No Tomorrow” have that certain groove to them to get the booty’s shaking on the dance floor. Distortion plays a factor as well, lending a electronic, almost-futuristic sound to the guitars and creating a wall of sound that penetrates the listener’s eardrums, even at the calmest moments.
The lyrics are darker than most rock bands tend to lean towards. With guitarist Christian Brais’s mother being diagnosed with cancer last year, many of the songs on Tales From The City draw their inspiration from that event. It’s like Christian is pouring his heart out on record, with songs like “Mother” and “All Is Forgiven” seem to be more personal. Vocalist Mat Joly’s outstanding performance only helps to reinforce the emotional punch of the lyrical content.
Tales From The City has so much going for it, that it is a shame that some of the songs seem to flounder along the way. “Slow Motion Car Crash” is one of the heavier songs on the album, but the distortion gets in the way of the song. Closer “All Is Forgiven” goes on for way too long; at least two minutes could have been chopped off of it, as the last minute-plus is nothing more than guitar feedback.
Tales From The City is an album that has a lot going for it on the surface. Rock fans with a bit of funk in them will gravitate towards the album, once it’s released in the states, that is. Don’t worry; there are sites listed on the band’s official web site where you can purchase it, if you can’t wait another six months or so for a hard copy. The album took a while to grow on me, and some tracks still haven’t stuck with me, but Tales From The City is a solid rock album that will appeal to fans of The Killers, U2, Coldplay, and Snow Patrol.
The 411: Tales From The City has its ups-and-downs, and the album itself is only on ITunes right now, but it is worthwhile for any modern rock fans. Those bands I named at the end weren't just randomly put into the review to fill up space; if you like any of those bands, you will probably find Tales From The City to be an enjoyable ride. Nothing is revolutionary on the album, but sometimes, you just want an album to rock out to, with a slice of groove; Tales From The City is that album.
