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The Constantines are a punk-rock quintet from Toronto (Steve Lambke on vocals, Bryan Webb on guitar, Whil Kidman on keyboards) that debuted with
The Constantines (Three Gut, 2000 - Subpop, 2004). The album unleashed an ugly, dissonant, torrid sound that harked back to Fugazi and Jesus Lizard but adding some
melody and subtracting some evil.
Arizona, Young Offenders, Seven a.m. and Steal This Sound, as well as
the instrumental The McKnight Life,
were the standout tracks.
Shine A Light (Subpop, 2003) is a less virulent work, although
songs such as National Hum are no less truculent than their predecessors,
but generally the tone is more atmospheric
(Tank Commander and On To You, the standout tracks)
and even bluesy (Insectivora, Goodbye Baby And Amen.
The passionate Young Lions sounds closer to Bruce Springsteen than to Fugazi.
Tournament Of Hearts (Sub Pop, 2005) is a morbid affair that
disposes of the most jarring aspects of their sound
(with the notable exception of Draw Us Lines and Lizaveta),
focusing instead
on introspection and atmosphere, ranging from the languid to the funereal
(Soon Enough,
Love in Fear,
Working Full-Time,
Hot Line Operator).
Last but least, they unleash a wall of sound in You Are A Conductor
that is pure sonic delight.
Quite simply,
this is a different band from the one that cut the first two albums.
Kensington Heights (Arts and Crafts, 2008) is a collection of uninspired
songs that don't quite belong anywhere, too lame to be rock'n'roll and too
sprightly to be ballads. Hard Feelings,
Brother Run Them Down
and Trans Canada
try to harvest some tough emotions, but fall flat. Do What You Can Do
is mildly anthemic, but a far cry from a rousing moment. They seem to prefer
the constructive middleware of I Will Not Sing a Hateful Song,
Time Can Be Overcome
Shower of Stones and Million Star Hotel.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Paolo Latini)
I Constantines sono un quintetto punk-rock di Toronto
(Steve Lambke, voce; Bryan Webb, chitarra, Whil Kidman, tastiere) che ha
debuttato con l'omonimo The Constantines (Three Gut, 2001). L'album
rivela un sound sporco, dissonante e torrido che rimanda ai Fugazi e Jesus
Lizard, ma aggiunge maggiori dosi di melodia e toglie qualche cadenza cupa.
Arizona, Young Offenders, Seven a.m. and Steal
This Sound sono gli anthems che spiccano.
Shine A Light (Subpop, 2003) è un disco meno virulento,
sebbene canzoni come National Hum non sono meno truculente delle
precedenti, ma il tono generale è più atmosferico (Tank
Commander, forse la perla del disco) e a volte anche più bluesato
(Insectivora, Goodbye Baby And Amen). L'accorata Young
Lions suona più vicina a Bruce Springsteen che ai Fugazi.
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