Winona Forever, We Are Wolves, Ritchot Textiles, and Night Court
Winona Forever - Sound Argument
I must be slipping in my old age. How in the world did Vancouver’s Winona Forever release an album in October and I’m just finding out about it right now! This fantastic alt-pop band returns on their fourth album with sunny, beat-the-winter, vibes. Blending jangly-pop with surf-rock and dream-pop, the quartet delivers their most charming release to date. Radio-ready pop gems like “Good Kisser”, “Style”, and “Slam Dunk” are expertly crafted to be pleasing to everyone. Even a jaded, pop-music hater like me swoons over tracks that are this perfect. If ever there was an album to make you feel good when the world around you demands you feel bad, Sound Argument from Winona Forever is that album and it should have been named in my “Best of 2024” article right beside Laughing’s record.
We Are Wolves - NADA
After a storied career, Montreal dance-punks We Are Wolves released their final album, NADA. They were part of a boon in the early 2010s when Canada exploded with notable dance acts that brought a punk-rock energy to their craft. Shout Out Out Out Out, You Say Party We Say Die and We Are Wolves were the buzz bands of their time with dance parties that one would occasionally turn into mosh pits. The Montreal duo go out with a bang on NADA, big electro-hooks and punchy melodies make up their farewell lap but small flourishes of punk (“Attention”) and Latin flair (“Subterráneo”) help make the album extremely dynamic and a truly memorable way for this important band to go out on their own terms.
Ritchot Textiles - i
Another example of me losing my edge. I knew that 3/4 of Blessed had a new project called Ritchot Textiles. I knew they were planning on dropping their debut EP at the end of 2024. I knew this and yet I’m still just listening to it for the first time as the calendar resets. Drew Riekman, Reuben Houweling, and Mitchell Trainor return with this new project that builds on the synth heavier sounds from Blessed’s last album, Circuitous. Their debut as Ritchot Textiles has them veering more into krautrock territory with a strong focus on trance-inducing rhythms built with guitar, drums and electronics. The EP showcases the bands unmatched ability to use repetition to their advantage like on the krautrock build of “Weight” or with the jagged guitar of “Coward.” The debut EP from Ritchot Textiles should have been named my #1 favourite EP of 2024… sorry, better late than never.
Night Court - $HIT MACHINE
Vancouver’s Night Court are at the top of their game on $HIT MACHINE. The record boasts seventeen action-packed power-pop tunes that harken back to the late 90s/early 2000s when pop-punk reached its pinnacle. The trio of lifelong friends have been steadily releasing records since the bands inception during Covid lockdowns and this record is them finding their perfect “sweet-spot” in terms of their identity. The music is sharp, direct and oh-so catchy but a couple key components set this apart from a classic “pop-punk” record. First, it’s a touch scrappier and not produced to the point of sounding slick. Second, the lyrics are actually good, something rare in pop-punk. This is another album I really dig in a genre for which I generally steer clear.
- Jeff MacCallum