Artist: The Get Arounds
Album: I Wanna Live
Release Date: February 18, 2023
The Get Arounds, hailing from Vancouver, BC, are a Canadian rock band boasting Lana Ryma as their vocalist, Carman Lethbridge wielding the guitar, Paul Albert holding down the bass, and Eric Lowe on drums. Their inception took place during the COVID-19 lockdown, culminating in their debut full-length album, “I Wanna Live,” and more recently they introduced their music to a wider audience via the “Black and White” music video.
The video was right up my alley, with strong late 80s to early 90s punk rock vibes, so I was pretty excited to dive into the full album. One immediate observation was the band’s clear sense of musical identity and sonic direction. The songs, for the most part, maintained a consistent stylistic thread, though they did exhibit variations in dynamics and energy levels. Particularly, the interplay between the guitar and bass really stood out for me, offering captivating, well-balanced melodies infused with a hint of goth rock sensibility.
Interestingly, the vocalist immediately brought to mind Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Her voice has a very distinct quality to it, the kind of voice capable of carrying the entire musical sound. In some of the more spirited tracks, she unleashed a gritty edge reminiscent of Joan Jett. I think there’s definitely huge potential there.
In terms of their style, there were two instances where the band took me off guard with their unapologetic embrace of their influences. This approach, far from being a drawback, added an appealing dimension to their work. “I Wanna Live” bore a striking resemblance to the Sex Pistols, with spot-on emulation of Johnny Rotten’s vocal nuances and a melody that echoed the iconic “God Save the Queen.” Another notable example was “Rockstar Girl,” which began with a melody reminiscent of The Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Although not one of the stronger songs on the album, it did prompt me to revisit my Blue Oyster Cult collection.
However, while there is absolutely some great musical talent behind this album, and while I did enjoy the vocalist’s tone and vibrato, I couldn’t help but struggle with issues of pitch. While “Black and White,” my favorite track from the album, sounded pretty solid, there were moments that had me wincing at how off-key she was, especially in songs like “I Want Something More” and “It’s My Time.” That and the attempted harmonies were an absolute low point for me, but because I really enjoyed their style, I’d be excited to see what they do next.
I also think they’re one of those bands who would be fun to see live. They’ve got great energy and lots of passion, and I have a feeling they can put on a really awesome show, so I’ll be on the lookout for their Alberta shows.
