Spotlight: Treelines - Young Man

Kelowna has been quite a hotspot of great indie rock lately. Yukon Blonde, Ladyhawk, and We Are the City are just a few of the bands that have been rockin it up across the country. Treelines is the latest in that solid line-up of musical acts to make their presence known. After the release of their self-titled debut last year the band got back to work and put together a sophomore effort which was released on July 1st. This effort is a solid 6 song E.P. called Young Man. Their first album was written primarily by lead singer Matt Lockhart during time he spent in Vancouver after graduating from the University of Victoria. This E.P. is the band's first release as a result of a cohesive effort from the entire band, and the sound reflects that. In a fantastic way.

This album is summer listening at its finest. It opens with a song that just sounds right on Friday afternoons after escaping from work,class, or whatever your business be. Ghost Towns liberates you with lyrics that set you sailing free. Soaring riffs and an awesome drumline make this song an excellent starter for the album. Next to bat is Summer Song. The name is pretty straightforward and it will not be long before this song has crept into every one of your summer playlists. You can practically feel yourself on the beach with lyrics like "the hottest seller is a pile of sand, and layin down is an action plan." Throw in a little brass for the chorus and you can smell the sunscreen streaming out the speakers. Statuette tells the story of love and disappointment in both reality and fiction. Sometimes all you can do is just stand there. The album cools down when you hit Streetlights with lyrics and music so vivid you can practically feel the cold winter street. The two mesh together so well it's very Weakerthans-esque. Young Man keeps the mind's eye moving with more visual lyrics. You can just picture your grandfather's chair that was so sacred you never dared sit in it. This song is an adventure in growing up and leaving behind those things that were so familiar, but still keeping them locked away in your mind for later. The last act of the album is Cowboys, a western rocker worthy of this band's Western Canadian roots, and the sunsets they'll be riding into during their next tour.


And that's it. This album is brief but fantastic. Lead singer Matt Lockhart belts out these summer anthems with a passion seldom heard in music today, and he's not afraid to let his voice crack a time or two to get this music heard. Comparisons with the Weakerthans are well earned and well founded, I can't say enough about how great the lyrics are. Just like you could see yourself in that bus in One Great City, you can see yourself in each one of these songs, whether it be on the beach, on the road, or life(yeah I went there). So go out there and grab this E.P. it'll be cheap cuz its short and oh so worth it. Go to http://www.treelinesmusic.com/ where you can download the title track for free and get a taste of what's in store. While you're there check out their making the record documentary.


If you were lucky enough you went to the Vancover CD release show on Friday, but if not expect more dates to be announced soon. Go out and check out this band for a great high enegy show, and pick up the E.P. while you're there, you won't regret it. Oh, and maybe an awesome Canucks Flying Skate Treelines t-shirt, those are great too.