Cuff the Duke
Union

With a recent Juno award nomination under their belt, Cuff The Duke is set to release their upcoming sixth album in early October. Union is the second part of a two-part album series released in conjunction with 2011’s Morning Comes.

The first twenty seconds of the opening track “Live My Life” begins with a head-bobbing beat and continues through the rest of the album, demanding the listener’s attention.

The euphoria soon disintegrates as the cries from lead singer Wayne Petti bury the lyrics and melodies. His rough vocals are unique; however, they don’t blend in well with the rhythmic tunes.

The album definitely has a relaxed feel to it and if you can get past the nasaly vocals, the music itself is pleasantly different, but familiar all at the same time.

This makes for a winning combination, but doesn’t put the band in a different league from other indie rockers.

— Rachel Herscovici

Mother Mother
The Sticks

Mother Mother’s fourth studio album The Sticks opens with “Omen” — a short, but eerie opening track that includes a small boy talking about laying his bones with a “couple of sticks and a couple of stones.” However, despite the uncanny lyrics, the jaunty rhythms jumpstart an addictive collection of songs.

Unlike the premiere song on the album, “Businessman” has a cool contrast between chords and is played on an electric guitar, resulting in the listener unintentionally nodding along to the song.

The album as a whole has dark and negative overtones, with song titles like “Cry Forum,” “Waiting for the World to End,” and “Dread in My Heart” making it difficult to fit all moods: angry, disappointed or ecstatic. That being said, the punchy bass lines and at times catchy and poignant lyrics make The Sticks worth a listen.

— Rosie Hales