Release date: October 7, 2008
Label: Universal Music Group Canada
Tracks: 10
Rating: 9
Tales from the City is a full-length album from Canadian group Mobile, a band that has put some stronger emotions into this record than their previous release. Having a family member deal with breast cancer brought out a few new musical innovations from not only guitarist Christian Brais but from all the other band members as well.
Established fans are impressed with this new release in comparison with past recordings, but that doesn’t change the fact that Tales from the City deserves recognition as one of the greatest progressive new wave records ever produced.
Since Mobile’s evolution caps off a mere two-record discography, it is fair to say that only good can come of the fuller, stronger hold on melody that has been produced this time around. In this 10-track second release, Mobile has encapsulated an entire length of musical composition that matches perfectly with the CD’s cover art.
Tales from the City features a dark city street that appears not only empty or abandoned but also gives the distinct impression of containing a million different stories of human life through the clear metaphor of a scattering of books. Dovetailing with this initial image and title, the 10 tracks on this record truly seem to precisely tell those stories suggested on the album cover.
The musicians have mastered their progressive genre with a few melodies that could pass for pieces of a Strokes or Killers song, but there is no mistaking the differences in this wholly uninterrupted album of dreamlike, pensive, and ever-so-mildly tensed music.
don’t let the term ?new wave? confuse you, however. Although Mobile’s recordings can easily be traced back to a parental ?80s new wave training, the band has done a splendid job of turning that ?progressive? corner and producing something that sounds entirely new but not uncomfortable to the musical palate.
I highly recommend this band to music appreciators of all genres because of its thought-provoking and emotive qualities. If you would like to hear a few samples from Tales from the City the band would probably like nothing better than to share their songs with you online?check out four tracks including the excellent first single, ?Killer.?
Although Mobile may initially sound like the kind of neutral background music that could be played at a social gathering or the beginning of a party, the truth is that these guys pack an awfully big punch into each little note played. I thoroughly enjoyed the record.
