Anyone remember an early 90s American band called Poi Dog Pondering? They played an offbeat, but playful roots rock style, with a nice beach-party edge, nearly a decade before Jack Johnson made the sound popular. Toronto quintet The Key Frames sound almost exactly like them, but The Key Frames have a banjo. Perhaps a more familiar Canadian touchstone would be Blue Rodeo's roots sensibilities crossed with Moxy Fruvous' playful nature. Either way, The Key Frames have a fresh take on roots rock that has been sorely missing lately. Most of the songs have a melancholy edge, but are lightened up by a playful turn of phrase, a upbeat fiddle lick, or an accordion. “Our Age” tackles the young feeling old and the old feeling young, “Feel Like a Fool” is a playful take on lost love. “Steal You Away” is about stealing girlfriends and features the lyric “I've seen you look my way/Don't you want a man like me?”. “The Bullet to Lay Me Down” is a fanciful look at suicide. With so many roots artists looking to the sad end of classic country and bluegrass, it's very nice to see a band like this with a lighter and more upbeat style. Very nice debut for this band.

By Steve Marlow
Sep 10, 2011