Supernal

By Alan Cho

The number of bands ripping off riffs from Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” and “Passenger” grows at an alarming rate. Young bands desperately claw at their guitars trying to relive the proto-punk of the ’70s or just mimicking the power of Iggy. Few bands pull it off with the rest sounding ignorantly obsessed or incredibly lazy. So, when a band comes along oblivious to that currently vogue sound, it proves to be refreshing.

It’s nice to see a band rape a different era of music now and then.

Supernal is a relatively new band, having rocked the Calgary scene for a good four years. They’ve ripped it up on the garage band circuit, pleasing audiences and winning competitions.

Before launching into their second album, Supernal releases a little sumthin’-sumthin’ for fans to chew on.

The five tracks on the There Is No Excuse Not To EP display the band’s ability to create catchy pop rock confections. They’re a band with a definite ’90s sound, their songs informed by post-grunge sensibilities.

Usually, this causes people to shrug, before reassuming their glazed over look. But what really makes Supernal stand out are Angela Saini’s powerful vocals, which prove to be consistently stunning on each track. She is a woman with her own distinct flavour and style, never consciously mimicking anyone in particular.

Still, the post-grunge idioms become a bit thin, and remembering to smile wouldn’t hurt. However, riding on top of Angela’s supersonic voice, Supernal has a bright future.

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