The Schomberg Fair

'I Won't Be Afraid' (album stream)

BY Alex HudsonPublished Jul 2, 2014

This might be the last we hear from the Schomberg Fair, so fans had better enjoy it. Before they go on hiatus, the Toronto roots-punk band have shared their album I Won't Be Afraid. It's due out on July 8 and can be streamed early on Exclaim.ca.

In a statement, bassist Nathan Sidon said, "This is the record we've wanted to make for eight years." Apparently, they're so happy with the album that they're using it as their final statement for the foreseeable future.

It was engineered and mixed by Dean Marino (Tokyo Police Club, Cadence Weapon). The opening title track begins the collection with hushed, spooky atmospherics, but the mood quickly picks up and the song turns into a stomping, noisy sonic assault. This juxtaposition of moody textures and aggressive runs throughout much of the sprawling effort, with half of the eight songs clocking in at more than five minutes long.

Hear it all below.

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