Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
The skyline of Toronto as seen from the great lake has undergone such a dramatic transformation in the last few decades, so much so that even the open mind of a young traveller just 30 years ago would be stunned at the vast differences they would see on the horizon; and yet dig deeper, see beyond the glimmering towers that have sprung up and which defiantly touch the sky, and which over power the sense of the traditional and the unique, and what you discover is that Restless spirit still pulsating, still driven by the common folk who built the city and adhere to the cacophony of steel and the diversity of strength.
The Commoners’ third studio album, Restless, is one that is built on a professional high, but one that resolutely understands that for all the glamour from the shoreline, it is the land behind it that made it happen, the purpose of which is a reminder to be humble, to be true to the pulse that gave you your break and educated you in the ways of the world being opened to you.
Chris Medhurst, Adam Cannon, Ross Hayes Citrullo, Benjamin Spiller, and Miles Evan Branagh’s confidence has deservedly been pushed to a point where they stand out against those towers, so much so that that the anticipation of what is to come next magnifies the scene from Hamilton in the south west corner of Lake Ontario, and onward to Kingston in the north east apex; it is large, panoramic, the appearance of the wide expanse that takes in the old foundries and industrial might, and the rugged country, the natural and the beautiful in one sweeping eyeline movement.
This is how to view The Commoners, not just as an aspect, but as an all-encompassing reveal, and as tracks such as Shake You Off, The Way I Am, the excellent Who Are You, the admirable To Soon To Know You, and the superb album title track of Restless showcase their mature passion, so the listener feels the pulse of that magnificent, almost historical, feel of adventure, of the scenic and broad regard for expansion and honouring the world in which the group cut their teeth upon.
A seismic piece of art, cool, direct, and to be admired; Restless but unperturbed by the arena it is deserving of being heard in. The Commoners have stridden onward and upward with style and purpose.
The Commoners release Restless on Gypsy Soul Records on Friday 5thJuly.
Ian D. Hall