The Rural Alberta Advantage

(image by Patrick Leduc)

Jeff Magnum. Sorry, just had to get that out of the way as the Rural Alberta Advantage is our It Band for the day. Pick a song, any song, off their full length debut Hometowns and one will instantly make the comparisons when Nils Edenloff opens his mouth to fill your ears with nasal wails of heartbreak and nostalgia. Paul Banwatt and Amy Cole round out the rest of the band. It's a good thing the trio decided to avoid a whimsical direction on their debut as Edenloff's voice will be a constant reminder of Neutral Milk Hotel.

With that out of the way, Hometowns is a flip through an audio photo album. This album reminds me of fond farewells. Be it to stages of schools, relationships, or even happy days. The end verses of the opening track mirror that sentiment: "And all these things will past/It's the good ones that will last/And right here what we've had/Is a good thing, it will last." And I want to believe Edenloff, I want to believe that though we can't turn back, the trite yet good memories remain.

These thirteen tracks will lyrically revolve around the same theme, which makes for a cohesive, earnest album. What was Over the Sea in an Aeroplane without WWII or Anne Frank? But while it's hard to emotionally connect with semen stained mountaintops, it's not difficult to recall heartache or homesickness. The sparse arrangement on "The Air" is a beautiful combination of both ideas. (And take a listen to the piano and acoustic guitar on that song!) But what drives a large majority of these tracks are the cleverly disguised synthesizers and ever up-centered drums. Banwatt basically hands you a cymbal to sit on so you can careen down the slopes and away from your woes.

The best track is "The Dethbridge in Lethbridge" because it's a rock stomp, face kick send off with aching spite. My favorite type. Just listen: