Release Date: 10.02.07
There’s nothing better than some spastic pop to get the weekend started off on the right foot. Maybe it’s the influx of caffeine from the morning coffee running wild through my body, or the total A.D.D. that I awoke with, but for some reason Born Ruffians’ newest EP, Hummingbird, totally fits my mood.
The upbeat mixture of a piano, guitar, drums, a bass and spastic “hootin’ & hollerin’” vocals are a combination best served sparingly, but in the case of Born Ruffians it’s addictive, much like that morning cup of joe. The release was recorded with Rusty Santos (Animal Collective, Panda Bear), and it’s obvious, being quirky and playful for the most part.
“Hummingbird” is the kind of track you would expect to come from an indie Canadian band. It’s easy to sing along with, full of handclapping moments and knee-jerking melodies. “Kurt Vonnegut,” a staple from their live shows, comes up next and follows the same successful formula that worked well for the previous song. Ending with “Knife,” the trio takes a stab at covering a Grizzly Bear tune. They make it their own, and if one didn’t know better, they would think it was part of Born Ruffians’ regular musical repertoire.
While the whole point of this little EP might be to raise awareness for their upcoming LP, Red, Yellow and Blue, due out in 2008, the threesome also managed to create a nice collectors piece too. Our suggestion is to pick up the 7″ over the digital release because this is the type of music you want to hear while watching it spin around, just like you will from hearing it.
