Send "he Most Serene Republic " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Apt title. The Most Serene Republic are, as they always have been, a big band; seven members, expansive arrangements, eyes on the horizon, that sort of thing. They're effective when they sound like a small band, too-- when they manage to wrench as much power out of their tenderest, most threadbare moments as they are when seven people are banging the hell out of their instruments. Though they've had gossamer moments on their two LPs and 2006's fine Phages EP, what they've not yet done is make a record that strikes the right balance between their formidable skills as arrangers and instrumentalists and their penchant for penning affecting, Stars/Mates of State-esque twilight melodrama; you know, retrofitting their little heartbreaks with just the right amount of bombast. Their latest, ...And the Ever Expanding Universe, gets grandiose in nearly all the right places; it's the singing part of the songs that could use a little beefing up.It took them long enough, but these Canadian many-piecers and Arts & Crafts signees finally hooked up with producer of mostly MSR labelmates and Canadian many-piecers Dave Newfeld for Universe. It's Newfeld, so the difference is clear; surely I can't be the first to liken his work behind the boards to bobbing up and down in mildly troubled waters on an otherwise beautiful afternoon, but whatever the description, if you've listened to much indie rock in the past five years or so, you know it well. Newfeld helps MSR suss out some of their tendencies towards overcrowding and lends the quieter moments a lovely glow, but as with most Newfeld productions, there aren't many moments where you can't hear the guy conducting; one can't help but wonder if he's instructing guitarists to strum everything in that dun-dun-d-dun "Almost Crimes" rhythm....full text |
| Cavacool |
| The Most Serene Republic was a pleasant surprise when I first saw them in 2005. Shortly after signing to Arts & Crafts, they joined an an all-star line-up on Toronto’s Olympic Island, sharing the stage with Modest Mouse, Broken Social Scene, Metric and Do Make Say Think. The young band’s exuberance and the catchiness of their cheekily titled first single ‘Content was Always My Favourite Colour’ managed to outshine a number of the better-known bands on the playbill. It was certainly a great first impression and Underwater Cinematographer was a solid first effort by an up-and-coming band. I wasn’t even aware that a second album, Population, as well as the tour-only EP Phages (which, given the amount of material could be considered a de facto album) were out when I saw them a second time a few years later, which made for a rather confusing performance of unfamiliar material. While Underwater Cinematographer was immediately accessible, the band shifted into a far more complex style which could be considered outright chaotic to the unfamiliar listener. Looking back, there’s some great stuff if you take the time to let it wash over you. It’s with some surprise that their third album …And the Ever Expanding Universe is markedly more focused than its sprawling predecessors. I don’t want to say the sound is pared down, as any band with this many members is going to have a lot going on, but the somewhat-organized chaos has been harnessed into, well, serenity. I feel like the production by David Newfeld, who has previously worked on albums by Los Campesinos! and Broken Social Scene, both larger bands themselves, had a big hand in the change....full text |
| Strangeglue |
| If you're male, the three words that will get you through life are: You're, not, fat. Female? Then try: Don't, be, retarded. Want to get through a TMSR album review? Broken, social, scene. Yep, expect them to show up with the frequency of reality TV 'stars' at supermarket opening ceremonies. Not that the comparisons are unjustified, both are... you know what, let's skip the prose and just jump straight to the check-list. Both are: Canadian, and from the same city Work in the realm of shoegaze-tinged baroque-pop Have an inordinate amount of members Signed to the Arts & Crafts record label Three word band names Use bizarre non-sequitors in their song titles So, the moral of the story? You like the one band, well, you'll probably like the other. That's how comparisons go isn't it. We give you a huge list of influences until you yell out "Bingo! Oooh, I like them!" and then think, "Hmm, Band B sound pretty good because I do like Band A". The deal's the same here, only we're only giving you one band name. In the interests of the rock-dwellers who're unaware of BSS though, we dedicate to you the rest of the review. You can take advantage of the free-of-charge MP3 for track two "Heavens to Purgatory" and play along for this one. Starting with the familiar world-weary guitar slashings and the ubiquitous 'need my asthma inhaler' indie-folk vocals. Swiftly, you find yourself in polyphonic-cymbal territory as they furiously decorate the outer-limits of the song. You'll know by now that the almost-funky bass-drum stomps are mere seconds away. High-pitched singing, vocal-harmonies, eclectic instruments and explosive walls-of-noise for a chorus follow. Are you sure you haven't heard of Broken Social Scene? It'd really make our job easier. There are less pop-orientated contributions on the album also. "Patternicity" almost borders on self-indulgent, there's almost six minutes of it, it does actually sound like the soundtrack to a Tom and Jerry cartoon. For the vast majority of our time together though, The Ever-Expanding Universe is a diverse, dynamic and engaging ride which continually thrills with its bizarre logic and compelling lyricism. Behind every song title, every line lies a literary or filmic reference which when unearthed sheds new light upon the album's deeper meaning....full text |
he Most Serene Republic lyrics
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