Coming from Hamilton, Ontario in Canada is COWLICK. Their second full length album “Wires” was released to the masses at the end of the past summer, and it garnered a boat load of attention at the 2010 Hamilton Music Awards.
After the Hamilton Music Awards were all said and done, Cowlick walked away with the award for “best indie/alternative album”, and that’s a hell of an accomplishment. If you’ve had the chance to hear these guys already, then you can probably figure out why it received so much praise. With an opening track like “Wires”, we’re pretty sure you’re going to be hooked right from the start.
“Wires” kicks off with a curiously mysterious beginning, leaving you wondering just how this is all going to play out in the long run. There’s really no hint right away at what’s to come, but hear it out and soon your face to face with a pulsing bass line underneath that keeps the song flowing smoothly. Noisy and scratchy lead guitar licks complement the propulsive, non-stop action as this one will certainly find it’s way under your skin – a near three minutes of straight up non-stop rocking out. Track two “Thunder vs. Lightning” comes next, starting off with some simple guitar chords before growing into an energetic, cymbal-crashing monster. Pay special attention to the rhythm section in this song (and the album as a whole) and you’ll begin noticing that their bassist and drummer are both extremely talented. By the time the second half of the song rolls around they’re serving up some nasty lead guitar work.
“Sex” starts up next with a lazy and bassy sounding intro. This song kind of creeps along for awhile before popping off into a grungy, heavy guitar mess. Intimate lyrics about the opposite sex dominate this song, questioning when exactly this sex will be taking place again. Following up this track is “Can Neu Do It”, which within seconds after beginning you’ll notice that their top-notch bass player is again announcing his/her presence. This is an entirely instrumental track that stands alone on this record, and it also happens to be the longest track. Break neck speeds, bat-shit guitars and an undying rock and roll spirit drive this song into a visual instrumental journey, switching back and forth from madness to silence in the matter of seconds. Although it does quiet down here and there, the song still refuses to settle down significantly, and it will almost definitely require a second spin.
Track five “White Russians” features friend of the band LEE REED, and I’d have to guess he’s the one singing. This song takes on a funky, hip-hop rhythm with more punchy bass lines and break-beat drumming that pushes the song to it’s outer-most limits. Gushing is not something we’re prone to, but these bass lines are simply jaw-dropping. Please don’t miss out on this one below. Up next comes “Radio”, and this one has a slower start than the rest of the album. After a song like “White Russians” this one seems to fall a bit short of that mark, but still quality nonetheless. The end result is another heavy guitar onslaught, which by now you might notice is the general pattern of this wild record.
Closing out the album is “Conflict of Interest”, and you’re immediately met with deep bassy vocals and a warming acoustic guitar. The song doesn’t waste much time at all before it gains momentum and then slides away into a blissful and slowed exit. Do yourself a solid and check out these Cowlick tracks below, and hopefully you’ll find something new to liven up yr day. That’s all we have for ya today, but we’ll definitely see ya tomorrow!
Wires –
Can Neu Do It –
White Russians (ft. Lee Reed) –
My Rating: 7.1/10
Genre/ Tags: Indie Rock, Alternative, Psychedelic
Wires: Tracklist:
1.) Wires
2.) Thunder vs. Lightning
3.) Sex
4.) Can Neu Do It
5.) White Russians (ft. Lee Reed)
6.) Radio
7.) I Love the Way You
8.) Conflict of Interest
Styrofoam Drone 
One thought on “Cowlick – Wires”