Motorists

Motorists

Never Sing Alone

We Are Time

***Driving is a huge part of rock and roll’s enduring mythology. Images of cruising down the highway with friends and lovers while basking in the freedom of the open road pervade pop music’s lyrical canon. Yet, so often, these idealized images clash with the everyday drudgery of being a motorist: traffic jams, detours, and bad news on the radio.This tension is central to Motorists’ sound—as much about the colourful possibilities of life as it is about the way those possibilities are boxed in by technologies. It’s clear that, for the band, creative collaboration is the only way to break the tension. In a world where everyone’s been in their own bubble, Motorists have pushed theirs together and worked through feelings of isolation as a group, to the tune of jangly guitars, infectious power pop hooks, and a steady motorik beat. The result is an album (the band's third) full of revelations about what it means to be together, and how bad you want it when you’re being torn apart.

Motorists

Touched by the Stuff

We Are Time

***Inspired by the big shiny tunes flooding FM radio airwaves in the 1990s, Toronto trio Motorists go full throttle on their sophomore album. Now propelled by powerhouse drummer Nick Mckinlay, guitarist Craig Fahner and bassist Matt Learoyd channel stadium-sized power-pop through the gauzy fuzz of ‘90s alt rock, like Big Star swerving into Hotline TNT. Touched by the Stuff hits the gas with “Decider,” Fahner’s voice adopting a Britpop swagger as he zigzags through strident riffs, sudden key changes, and sweet vocal coos. “Back To The Q” picks up speed as Learoyd sings about sinking with the ship, summoning his strength just to lose. “Embers” is a tender, lovelorn ballad about the breath that ignites flames, while “The Folded Plan” is a verbose, Tom Petty-style rocker, juxtaposing squelching electronics with trilling doo-doo-doos. “L.O.W” cranks up the volume with Siamese Dream-inspired headbanger riffs, while the warbling synths and thunderous drums of “Light Against The Shade” close the record on a sweeter note.