Review Summary: If you are looking for a solid album that is easy to listen to, catchy, and overall fun - this disc is for you. If you're looking for something with deep lyrics, technical guitar hooks, and groundbreaking vocals - you'd best move on.
Burlington, Ontario’s own, The Saint Alvia Cartel took the airwaves by storm with the release of their debut, self-titled full-length earlier this year in Canada. The band has now finally made available their critically acclaimed CD in the U.S. for the first time, on June 24, 2008 via Canadian punk/ska mainstay label Stomp Records.
The Saint Alvia Cartel (whose name is a homage to Ernest Alvia “Smokey” Smith – Canada’s last WWII veteran) is comprised of former members from four legendary bands - Boys Night Out, Jersey, Grade, and the Video Dead. With their roots firmly planted in punk-rock, the band draws inspiration from almost every genre out there: roots, rock and roll, blues, soul, dancehall reggae, country, new wave and hip hop. Bluntly stated, The Saint Alvia Cartel sound like the bastard child of the Clash, if Tim Armstrong was the father.
There are no two songs that sound alike, which can be credited to the mixture of styles each member brings to the table from the former bands they once contributed to.
The disc does not include a lyrics sheet, however most songs seem to dance around the idea of continuing one’s life surrounded by change – albeit good or bad. Starting off with “Karma Kill Me Again” and leading into “Don’t Wanna Wait Forever” and eventually “Time to Go”, the songs topics briefly explore the building of one’s life from the ground up after disaster strikes, with lyrics such as “Don’t cry, this isn’t where the story ends – I swear you’re going to see my face again”. The album progresses and eventually ends with the song “Stones on the Road - “ I woke up and things had changed”. No doubt the lyrics on this disc are reference to the somewhat reckless past that prematurely ended Rob Pasalic’s relationship with Boys Night Out and his triumphant victory over alcohol, bringing with it the birth of the band.
Overall, the album is a solid disc of 11 songs, mostly upbeat and catchy, all slightly different than each other to keep things exciting.
