It really is an exciting time delving into your inbox to see what treasures have been planted there ready for review. Sometimes - not always, but sometimes - the feeling is like Christmas morning...when you didn't really get what you wanted. My first thought upon seeing the name 'Re-Wind' in my skull-studded in-tray was that I had somehow been sent a disc by a two piece musical act looking to book a Sunday night at my local social club. Re-Wind wouldn't look out of place alongside Leigh Diamond, Jana Starr and In Vogue on the garish 'Coming Attractions' posters littered with countless other pseudo-porn star names that are on every pub window in every town, where a warbled version of 'Wonderwall' or 'Man, I Feel Like A Woman' will see every pint glass raised to the heavens in a show of working class idiocy. But then I saw it. The hyphen. That little punctuation mark no bigger than an ant's arse has just saved the day. A band almost consigned to 'local artiste' level has suddenly become a force to be reckoned with. Don't believe me? Dig out your comic-books (see what I did there?), tough guy. Spider-man was always cooler than Superman, right?

Re-Wind come from Hamilton, Ontario and contain three male band members that any heterosexual male will forget quicker than the world forgot about the Bermuda Triangle (I mean, c'mon, the internet is wonderful and has made the world smaller but it has done a terrible disservice to all water-based paranormal locations and a lengthy list of mythical beasts. Who gives a fuck about Bigfoot anymore when there are perverts watching us on web cams RIGHT NOW?!!?) when they catch a glimpse of vocalist Taylor McCay. She is a lady of the foxy variety and will no doubt be the reason that many a gentleman will part with gig ticket money. Sexist? Maybe. Truth? For sure.

'Part-Time Entertainment' (they just love that hellacious hyphen, don't they?!) is nice. So nice, in fact, that in the accompanying press release I am warned that two song lyrics contain profanity. Normally I would wash my hands of such filth but I'll give them a chance. McCay is in possession of a generic female voice but, happily, isn't an exact soundalike for anyone. She'll get a handful of Alanis namechecks but I'm sure she'll be able to deal with that. The band too come from a generic pop rock mould but, again, don't really sound like anyone else which is, of course, refreshing. There's a slight alternative edge to a couple of tracks - 'I.O.U. Nothing' sounds, musically at least, not unlike a post-Richey Manic Street Preachers and 'This Time' features a 'Paranoid Android' style interlude. Other than that, it is pretty much standard melodic fare - lush, catchy and breezy. Actually, I am reminded of female fronted Welsh act Sal, but with much better drumming on display here. It is no secret that Sal drummer Denley Slade peaked almost twenty years ago.

I can find no real fault with Re-Wind or this album. Each song is perfectly executed and very well (self) produced. The nearest I can come to a complaint is that the album length is possibly its own worst enemy - thirteen tracks perhaps give cause for concern when it comes to pacing. A real heartbreaker of a tune or a stab at a more uptempo number would cure this for future releases. The band are maybe just one top tune away from being the soundtrack to many a lovelorn girl's summer.

by Gaz E.

Visit the Re-Wind Website