Reviewed May 26, 2008
Sam Roberts Love at The End Of The World
by Ron Hollywood

For his third release Montrealer, Sam Roberts has kept what’s familiar to him, his music and fans. And there’s nothing wrong with that because this is a very good record. The lyrics on the folk song, Words & Fire express this point further “Now I’ve become unhinged / I’m a door in a frame / well I’m never quite closed / but I ain’t open to change.” The biggest change is Sam’s new short hair and clean shaven face.

There’s a healthy mix of garage-rockers and contemporary folk songs. The title track Love At The End of the World is a bluesy guitar rocker. Fixed To Ruin pumps with a great backbeat. My personal favourite is the interesting musical rock of Up Sister feels like it could have been on his second effort Chemical City.

Where he sung about Taj Mahal on his first disc he now wants us to feed his dead body to the Lions Of Kalahari, one of the best mid tempo songs he has. Sundance is a nice mellow breath of a song. With slower numbers it’s the keyboards of Eric Fares that take a real stronghold. I love his piano boogie drive on Detroit ’67.

The weakest moment comes with the way too long overboring Waking The Dead.
The whole album’s production seems like it could have been a bit better in terms that the band seems as if it’s never left the garage. There’s an overall ‘oomph’ missing, but maybe that’s exactly what they wanted.

1.“Love At The End Of The World” – 2:36
2. “Stripmall Religion” – 4:02
3. “Oh Maria” – 3:46
4. “Lions Of The Kalahari” – 4:11
5. “Fixed To Ruin” – 3:45
6. “Them Kids” – 3:59
7. “Words & Fire” – 3:53
8. “Sundance” – 4:18
9. “Up Sister” – 3:40
10. “End Of The Empire” – 4:18
11. “The Pilgrim” – 5:31
12. “Waking The Dead” – 6:26
13. “Detroit ’67” – 4:02

running time 54:29

Check out the intospective Sims inspired video for the first single Them Kids where he proclaims to be “taking back the golden years” since “the kids don’t know how to dance to rock n roll.” The best video he’s done… so far.
Sam Roberts Them Kids video

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