The first time I heard “Made Of Stone”, I was driving and I had to turn it up, had to soak it in. I just feel in love with the song — the beat makes your want to sway and pump your hips, while the grittiness of the guitar adds a modern flavour to its tribal, primitive character. My first thought was “They’ve got to be Canadian!” The sound was just so indicative of our indie rock scene — so blended and diverse, with an energetic and youthful exertion.

Spiral Beach indeed formed in Toronto in early 2003. Ball marked their second release after their self-titled, independent debut. They’ve been around the Toronto music circuit for a few years now and have toured with the likes of the Hidden Cameras and Sloan, and have been featured in NOW, Exclaim, and Eye Weekly. It’s no wonder they’ve got a buzz about them.

Maddy Wilde vocals are reminiscent of those of Emily Haines — the talent in harmony and crispness is definitely there. Her style works well across genres Spiral Beach experiments with, and has a tone that just flows perfectly with the heavily electronic backing. The majority of this album is wide ranging, each song is set apart on its own, in style and intensity, yet somehow work together in the collective. Along with “Made of Stone”, “Teddy Black” is a simply exquisite song; the Theremin-like sounds gave the track an eerily exquisite quality.

Some weak spots include “CLT, “Two Black Eyes”, and “Nuts and Seed Pucks” which are each under one minute long. They seem more like intermissions than separate tracks; while one interlude is understandable, three songs of this type just seem a bit lazy. For the most part though, Ball is refreshing, funky, and a good forward step in this group’s promising career.



Track Listing:

Teddy Black
Made Of Stone
Kind Of Beast
Rocket Fuel
CLT
Red Shoes
Two Black Eyes
We Saw Ghosts
Casual t
Pedestrian
Astro Girls
Nut and Seed Pucks
Man Moon