Arkells
High Noon
Release Date: Aug 5, 2014
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Record label: Dine Alone Records
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Album Review: High Noon by Arkells
Very Good, Based on 5 Critics
Based on rating 4/5
Hamilton indie rockers Arkells brought in producer Tony Hoffer (Phoenix, M83) to help give their third album more contemporary tones and textures. But while you can definitely hear his touch here and there, thankfully the band hasn't messed much with the classic pop feel that's already won them two Junos. The songs just have a bit more sonic depth and shine, and the new orchestral embellishments are so unobtrusive you barely notice them.
Based on rating 7.0/10
On its third full-length album, Canadian five-piece rock band Arkells returns with a collection of songs that address transactional exchanges of both finances and the heart. Written at home in Hamilton, Ontario, High Noon feels different from the band’s first two efforts. Technically, Arkells places more emphasis on modern production and string arrangements to complement its piano-based synth-rock, but emotionally, the band focuses on hope throughout the record.
Based on rating 7/10
Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada’s Arkells is an acclaimed act in their home country. While their 2008 debut album, Jackson Square, had a rock radio hit with “Oh, the Boss is Coming!”, things really heated up once they won a Juno Award (Canada’s answer to the Grammys) for New Group of the Year. Then, their sophomore album, Michigan Left brought even more fame and acclaim as the band won the Juno for Group of the Year in April 2012.
Based on rating 7/10
Arkells have established themselves as one of the more ambitious younger acts in Canada today. 2008's Jackson Square and 2011's Michigan Left demonstrated both bare-bones rock and souped-up pop sensibilities, respectively. High Noon, the band's third album, is a marriage of those two approaches with largely fruitful results.
Based on rating 7/10
The Arkells aim for the cheap seats on their big, boisterous third album, High Noon. Working with L.A. heavyweight Tony Hoffer (Beck, Phoenix, M83), the two-time Juno Award-winning rockers from Hamilton, Ontario have made what is easily their most commercially minded and immediate-sounding record. It's a logical progression following 2011's Michigan Left, which dialed down some of the rock heft from their 2009 debut, replacing it with bits of slightly more complex pop ornamentation.
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