ARTIST: Andre Ethier
TITLE: Secondathallam
LABEL: Paper Bag Records
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 190kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 34m total
RELEASE DATE: 2006-08-08
RIP DATE: 2006-07-12
Track List
----------
1. Don't Let This Mean Old World 2:33
Swallow You
2. The Best We Ever Had 3:13
3. Always and Forever 3:20
4. Honey Bee 4:21
5. Didn't I Love You Better Than 2:44
Him
6. You Can't Be Satisfied 4:25
7. Blue Bell 1:50
8. You Still Have Me 3:01
9. In With The Prim 2:46
10. Now I Wanna Be Your Dad 3:53
11. Blacker Gold 2:50
Release Notes:
You think youÆve got Andre Ethier pegged, donÆt you? You think heÆs just the
howling leader of that gang of rowdy rockÆnÆrollers who travel under the Deadly
SnakesÆ flag? Well sister, youÆve got another thing coming, and it arrives in
the form of EthierÆs new solo album, Secondathallam, out August 8, 2006 on Paper
Bag Records.
ItÆs the second solo record EthierÆs recorded at TorontoÆs east end Hallam Music
studio, and once again, his musical foil is longtime friend Christopher Sandes,
who handles many of the instruments, other than EthierÆs acoustic guitar and the
rhythm section provided by Pickles and Price (Andrew Gunn and Matthew Carlson of
the Snakes). Ethier and Sandes were running mates in their days in Montreal, and
their present efforts make good on old promises to one day make music together.
Secondathallam feels like exactly that: like a loose, intimate collaboration
between friends. The songs are arranged in the style of the great, æ70s-style,
confessional singer-songwriter albums. TheyÆre all wrapped in warm tones, with
SandesÆ piano at the fore and EthierÆs singing naked and honest. Coloured by
horns and double bass, it sounds like an acoustic Sunday afternoon jam session
between players whoÆve been around long enough to learn that thereÆs more to
love than flowers and sweet nothings.
And the songs on secondathallam are personal, and grandly romantic. If you
didnÆt know about EthierÆs newlywed status, a close listen to the album might
hint at it. ôThis record, itÆs kind of about being married, but itÆs a little
more convoluted,ö Ethier hints.
ôConfessional writing, I think, is often really masturbatory, and kind of
uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable, anyway. I just kind of ended up
enjoying the perversity of it û and I feel like the record is perverse. I donÆt
know if anyone would recognize that, but for me, itÆs kind of lurid at times.ö
But donÆt play this record expecting heart-on-sleeve schmaltz and moon-June
tripe. This is still Andre Ethier weÆre talking about. Everything has a twist.
ôWhen theyÆre love songs, theyÆre almost saccharine,ö he explains. ôThere are a
lot of references to honey, and to dripping sweetness, and I can imagine, for
some reason, I have this image of dogs salivating, but itÆs honey. Then there
are other times when the songs can be really negative about someone I love, but
unintentionally. I just kind of pushed all the emotions to their lyrical
extremes.ö
Sounds intriguing, Andre, but the real question û what about that new beard
youÆve been sporting?
ôI hate to be such a clichΘ, but perhaps itÆs just a time in my life when IÆm
into the beard,ö Ethier chuckles. ôIÆm stroking it right now. ItÆs helped. It
kind of changes your personality. You should try it some time.ö