There is a mental process of classifying music where after listening to a song, one automatically can place in its corresponding category. Le Trouble, the indie rock-fueled band from Montreal, is a completely bizarre case in a category of their own. No two songs are alike on their 2012 release Reality Strikes EP. At times, it almost feels like they are not even the same band and it is this talented property of a having such a wide musical spectrum that has us infatuated with their music.
The band came together by an unlikely meeting between Quebec-born guitarist/songwriter and a freshly arrived Australian singer from the city of Jamberoo, supported by a group of young friends from Montreal eager to change the way we listen to indie rock. And in many ways they have.
Reality Strikes is the title of the EP, but also serves as symbolism for their in-your-face guitar driven attitude. Withing minutes of the first track “Mission Bell”, Le Trouble sets the tone with an aggressive but equally charming instrumentation, with the vocals following the same style of pull and release. It isn’t until later in the EP that we are exposed to their soft ‘gooey’ core with the beautiful and breathtaking ballad, ‘Fine Line’. Just as the title suggests, Fine Line is a delicate place of carefully woven guitar melodies with sincere vocals that begin to unfold our hearts, reminding us if only for a brief moment of the disparity between love gained and love lost.
‘Real Talk (Part 2)’ quickly pick things up again carrying the catchiest chorus of the entire album, and showcases the explosive nature the band. Other stand out tracks include, ‘Red Shirt’, ‘To The Wire’ and ‘The Mean Ones’. From start to finish, Reality Strikes is an astonishing polished body of work from a promising indie rock band, deserving much more exposure. There are very few albums we fully endorse on this site but we grantee that picking up Reality Strikes will be the best $5 dollars you will spend this week. Purchase it today on their bandcamp page here.
