(Toronto) A couple months ago I heard a Spy Machine 16 song. I liked it. I emailed the band. They sent me a CD. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle propaganda was glued to the envelope. Please, keep reading.

These kids from down the road in Guelph can bust it out. I like Guelph. Whenever I think of it, I am reminded of the cool, hippy, lesbian girls at the Cornerstone who never wanted to flirt with me on my weekly delivery trips. I must have eaten my weight in spinach and sprout wraps two years ago trying to catch their eye. I hate spinach and sprout wraps.

Compared to other young, yelly bands out there (Los Campesinos!, Tilly And The Wall) SM16 are pretty chaotic at times. There is lots of yelling, a choir, dancing, more yelling and pianos.
Their songs are pretty choppy with parts of the album sounding like spoken word art pieces at times. It’s definitely different.

After listening to the entire album I felt confused because I didn’t’ know what these songs were about. I know from the song titles that they are politically motivated, but I wasn’t exactly sure what the motivations were. It is as if SM16 took the local, lefty, university paper and stripped it bare for lyrics and inspiration. Maybe these songs aren’t about anything. Although I did hear the line I was in all states with your good hands and thought it was pretty crafty. For example, the song Autobiography: Some Notes On What’s Been Called “Internalized” Racism is about something I should probably care about.

SM16 have a solid, loud, orchestrated, I just drank five friggin cups of coffee sound. If I was going on a road trip, this is the album I would have on pulling out of my driveway. Although I have not seen this octet live, I have heard that this album does not come close to the politically-charged dance-punk parties that happen at their live shows. No dates right now. Oh yah, I told Dave I would mention the artwork. Check it out after the jump. Mmmmm, visual stimuli.

4/5 – Minus one because Dave lined the CD jewel case with spinach and sprouts.

 

 Spy Machine 16 - On Struggles For Change And Hope (2007): Play Now