Showroom

If Showroom were to believe their own publicity material, they would think they were poised on the brink of world domination and that the release of their new album, The World Is Too Much with Us, will push them over the edge. And while their live performances have been almost uniformly praised, this Toronto band still have a long way to go. Not much has changed for Showroom since their debut EP, and a couple of those early songs make another appearance (including highlight "The Residence of Ben”). Like before, the Smiths are definitely still a big influence on the band, but that list can also be expanded to include the likes of the Police and a bunch of other ’80s talent that have been an influence on all the so-called "cool” bands of the moment such as Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand and their ilk. That means that The World Is Too Much with Us does have a "flavour of the month” feel to it, hinting that Showroom might just be jumping on the same bandwagon as everyone else, despite the fact that they’ve been doing it before it was even fashionable. Their songs are still catchy and pleasant enough, but they continue to lack that certain something that could make them as good as they think they are.