THE COMMONERS : FIND A BETTER WAY

1. Find A Better Way
2. Fill My Cup
3. More Than Mistakes
4. Too Much
5. Naturally
6. I Won't
7. Deadlines
8. Hangin' On Again
9. Alive

Label : Gypsy Soul Records

Release Date : November 4, 2022

Length : 40:19

Review (Blues Rock Review) : The Commoners are a roots-oriented rock band hailing from Toronto, Canada. Comprised of Chris Medhurst (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ross Hayes Citrullo (lead guitar), Ben Spiller (bass, piano) and Adam Cannon (drums, percussion), and often featuring organist Miles Evans-Branagh, the band has been successfully developing their very own modern stamp on classic rock. Influenced by enormous acts such as The Black Crowes, The Allman Brothers Band, and Led Zeppelin, the group is known for their intense vocals, formidable guitar sound and engaging compositions as well as for how they alternate between blunt heaviness and soft textures with complete mastery. Seeking to expand this approach and take it to higher heights, they have just released their latest album: Find A Better Way. Responsible for mixing the title track, legendary producer Kevin Shirley (The Black Crowes, Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin) guided the mixing and production of the rest of the album, which was carried out by lead guitarist Ross Hayes Citrullo. Being another crucial aspect of the whole endeavor, mastering was handled by sound engineer Pete Lyman (Tedeschi Trucks, Blackberry Smoke, Rival Sons). This effort results in the instruments being well-balanced and crystalline and the overall sound remaining tightly controlled yet still very spacious. Concerning the musical and lyrical concepts developed in the album, the band has successfully managed to use its compelling blend of soul, blues and southern rock to examine modern-day issues and the struggles of the everyman. The record also features the participation of a number of guest musicians who contributed invaluably. The crisp riffs, robust organ groundwork and inspired vocals of the galvanizing “Find A Better Way” sets the album in motion while the excellent “Fill My Cup” occupies the space between Led Zeppelin’s mighty riffage and The Allman Brothers’ softer southern undertones. “Too Much”, on the other hand, is a pure pummeling hard rock number, driven forward by a riff of cosmic proportions. The band reduces the heat for the southern soul ballad “Naturally” and its rich, layered vocal harmonies while the warm, comforting cut “I Won’t” touches on the type of country rock The Eagles used to write. Then, the epic number “Hangin’ On Again” unites all of the band’s influences in a climax of spellbinding musicianship, driven home by an utterly soul-searching slide guitar solo. A strong candidate to be among the best albums of the year, Find A Better Way is a record that combines the best of both worlds; the familiar, celebrated appeal of classic rock and the modern, untamed edge and themes the genre needs to stay relevant in our present-day world. Undoubtedly, a must-listen for any fan of the genre.

Review (Maximum Volume Music) : Every so often a band comes along that is so good, and they release an album so special that it makes no sense that you’ve never heard of them before. How did this happen? Look, all you can do is forget the how’s, forget the why’s and just revel in the fact they exist (then if you have a music website you can tell everyone about it, if you like). All of which brings us to The Commoners and “Find A Better Way”. They’ve come out of Canada with this, and the damn thing is a statement. 10 years in the making, The Commoners are at their core a four piece, but – and this is crucial – Miles Evan Branagh often joins them and he brings his organ. But, we’re skirting around the issue here: the only important thing is that “Find A Better Way” is an incredible record. The title track kicks it off too. You know they believe in it. For one thing Jeff Heisholt is playing the keyboard here (he’s in the criminally overlooked in the UK, The Trews) for another Kevin Shirley mixed and produced it. Well, if its good enough for Bonamassa, right? It’s an anthem. It wants us to do something different. It wouldn’t be a bad idea, would it? Given that what’s going on isn’t working for any of us, but if that’s the album’s beating heart, then there’s another eight that are either just as good or better. Take “Fill My Cup” so instantly classic is it, you (if you are like me) look to see if it’s a cover. It isn’t, but there is an elephant in the room here: The Black Crowes. Singer Chris Medhurst reckons they are an “influence”. He’s not wrong. But not the first album where they wanted to be The Stones. No, rather, the wonderful “Southern Harmony And Musical Companion” the one that got us into all kinds of jam bands and stuff. Indeed, I can pay this no higher compliment. Nor could I pay tribute to Medhurst any better than to say he sounds like Chris Robinson. “More Than Mistakes” adds a soul, think Rival Sons before they went mystical and the slide guitar on “Too Much” puts you in mind of that other wonderful discovery of the last few years or so, Robert Jon And The Wreck. Indeed there’s parallels with that band elsewhere too, given the fact they are the hardest working overnight sensations around. Equally adept at rocking and something a little more country, “Naturally” is an example, perhaps of a halfway house but the backing vocals are sensational. The pedal steel drenched “I Won’t” is full on though, and its filled with regret and loaded with pathos. Whilst this is a record that first and foremost just sounds sensational, it has a set of lyrics that are first class. “… Won’t” must get a shoutout for including the phrase “existential mistake” in its hook, though. This is a band that is but a heartbeat away from being a jam band (and you imagine live they do “wig out”) they manage to make the songs king. The hook on “Deadlines” alone is worth listening to, because you won’t get it out of your head. “Hangin’ On Again” allows itself some breathing room, though and is simply gorgeous. The fact that this seems to have been lifted, fully formed from a time capsule even extends to the point it is nine songs (like albums always seemed to be in the 70s) and the last one is different to the rest, acoustic in the main, but “Alive” is the one of the best. “I’m singing for my life” offers Medhurst and possibly that underlines the importance of this to The Commoners. You’d say they “are you new favourite band”. But that’s a lazy cliché and nothing on “Find A Better Way” deserves that hackneyed nonsense. The pay-off is quite simply this: if there’s been a better roots rock n roll record this year, then I’d like someone to send it to me, please.

Review (Rock N' Load) : I think it is fair to say that we have all been through the wringer the past few years and whilst 2022 can on the surface look better than the previous years, really it’s a shit show and a prelude to 2023. On that heartwarming note, what you do need in your life to remind you why we tolerate the lunacy around us is a feel-good album to take your mind off it all, The Commoners ‘Find A Better Way’ is that album. The album’s opener and title track set the tone, those gnarly Plexi break-ups, and overdriven tones just cut like a knife and right there, right then you know this is going to be one bitchin’ ride! By the end of that opening track, you’re like “Gimme More” and ‘Fill My Cup’ does exactly that, sultry harmonies and wailing vocals of Chris Medhurst just grip you, pulling you in one delicious line after another. It’s been a while since my head had been immediately turned by the opening tracks of a band I had not heard before, but The Commoners aren’t just any band, the Toronto natives have been grafting over the last decade honing their sound and their craft and have constructed an album well worthy of your attention let alone your hard-earned cash. They have an old-school vibe about them, old souls no doubt wrapped up in a contemporary package, with a flavor like their heroes in Free, Bad Company, The Black Crowes, and the like with a sound so wholesome you’ll think it came from grandma’s kitchen. The guitar work is sublime, gnarly, and captivating but Medhurst’s vocals shine track after track against the solid backline, the delicious vocal harmonies that envelope the tracks from time to time just make you want to get up and shake your ass like it’s 1999 all over again. A killer album from start to finish, The Commoners have delivered a real beauty dripping in quality, rich in its roots/rock heritage in a visceral form they have absolutely nailed it.

Review (Confined Rock) : Find A Better Way is het nieuwe album van de Canadese klassieke blues- en rootsrockband The Commoners. Het album wordt op 4 november uitgebracht op cd, vinyl in beperkte oplage en digitaal door Gypsy Soul Records en kan worden gereserveerd op TheCommoners.ca . De eerste single "Fill My Cup" werd op 29 juli uitgebracht . The Commoners is een vierkoppige blues/roots-rockband uit Toronto, Canada, met een geluid uit de eiken buik van een whiskyvat. Beschreven als "een klassieke rock-'n-roll-affaire", nemen de negen nummers de luisteraar mee op een sonische reis door het leven van de band, van de stoffige binnenwegen van het platteland van Ontario tot de felle lichten van de grote stad. De vierkoppige band uit Toronto biedt hun eigen mix van rock-'n-roll, southern blues en rootsmuziek en staat bekend om hun energieke riffs, soulvolle zang en rijke harmonieën. Het resultaat is een authentieke rockervaring in zuidelijke stijl. De groep is in de loop van een decennium gevormd en heeft zich via talloze obstakels aangepast om de eenheid te vormen zoals die nu bestaat: Chris Medhurst (zang / gitaar), Ben Spiller (bas), Ross Hayes Citrullo (leadgitaar) en Adam Cannon (drums). ). Vaak vergezeld door hun vriend, organist Miles Evans-Branagh, verenigen The Commoners zich onder een gedeelde droom: muziek schrijven, uitvoeren en delen die een oprechte knipoog is naar de groten die de weg voor hen baanden. "Het nieuwe album belichaamt op authentieke wijze de rock-'n-roll-, soul- en bluesrockervaring", zegt de zanger van de band, Chris Medhurst. “Dat wilden we heel graag terugbrengen. Dat zijn de wortels. Dat is wat we horen." De eerste single, "Fill My Cup", is het typische rootsrocknummer, met energieke gitaarriffs, een groovy couplet en een opbeurend refrein compleet met een inspirerend gezang van de hele band. Met een krachtig vocaal optreden van leadzanger Chris Medhurst en de soulvolle harmonieën van Chantal Williams, is "Fill My Cup" een onberispelijke introductie tot The Commoners, een must om te luisteren. "De Black Crowes hebben een aanzienlijke invloed op ons", zegt Medhurst. “Derek Trucks, Marcus King, Led Zeppelin en The Allman Brothers Band ook. Dit zijn de bands die we op onze mouw dragen terwijl we ernaar streven om onze eigen muziek en geluid te creëren." Find A Better Way is een album dat vanaf de eerste noot de aandacht opeist. De openingsregels "Als ik uit mijn longen schreeuw en met mijn voeten stamp tot de grond afbrokkelt" geeft meteen aan dat er een wilde rit in het verschiet ligt. Het album werd opgenomen en geproduceerd bij RHC Music in Toronto door de gitarist van de band, Ross Hayes Citrullo. Ross werkte samen met uitvoerend producent Renan Yildizdogan om de perfecte balans te vinden tussen oude en nieuwe opnamebehandelingen. Het doel was om iets te creëren dat nieuw en origineel aanvoelde, maar toch bekend was bij hun doelgroep van klassieke rootsrock en bluesrock. "De visie vanaf het begin was om oude en nieuwe southern rock te combineren op een manier die uniek is voor de Canadese roots van de band", legt Citrullo uit. “Door de soul- en rockelementen van de Black Crowes en de zuidelijke bluesrockondertonen van de Allman Brothers toe te voegen aan een productiestijl die vergelijkbaar is met die van Blackberry Smoke en de Rival Sons, denk ik dat we een authentiek geluid hebben ontwikkeld dat qua geluid vergelijkbaar is met sommige van onze platen. favorieten in al die muzikale genres.” De lyrische thema's van het album verdiepen zich in de essentie van de mensheid: liefde, spijt, ambitie en angst. Terwijl ze de eeuwige uitdaging van twijfel in het aangezicht van verlangen omcirkelen, plaatsen The Commoners zichzelf in de plaats van de gewone man. Het resultaat? Negen nummers die fungeren als een troost en metgezel door alle beproevingen en beproevingen van het leven, met melodieuze solo's, zwevend orgel en dreunende ritmesectie om de berichten naar huis te brengen. Drummer Adam Cannon zegt: "Muziek gaat, zoals veel dingen in het leven, over de uitwisseling van energie", en The Commoners doen meer dan alleen ruilen. In hun streven om een ??krachtige, gedenkwaardige en ronduit opbeurende live-ervaring te presenteren die hun opgenomen werk nauwkeurig weergeeft, neemt de band de luisteraar mee door energieke refreinen en groepsgezangen, alvorens ze terug te brengen naar de aarde voor iets zachts. Je kunt verwachten dat je volledig tevreden, doordrenkt van het zweet en met kloppend hart de deur uitgaat, een gegarandeerde goede tijd, precies wat we allemaal nodig hebben."