The D'Urbervilles

Guelph-via-Oshawa live favourites the D’urbervilles lay five songs down here that reveal great post-punk promise. They’ve already got a veritable anthem on their hands with "W.O.T.P.,” a fantastically crafted, socially conscious street-punk song that they wisely re-recorded here. Singer and multi-instrumentalist John O’Regan sounds wise beyond his years on the herky-jerky "Spin the Bottle,” while a catchy Talking Heads-esque bass line drives the intricate guitars of "We’re Blowing Up.” Other than the sudden country push of "People Helping People,” however, there is often something overly familiar about the band’s approach. The D’Urbervilles are a product of the times; a young, energetic band caught up in a ’80s new wave revival that is limiting by its very nature. They show real flashes of brilliance and righteous ambition here though, which suggests a move away from reverence to innovation.