Arkells - Blink Once

Alternative – Released September 22, 2021 – 14 songs, 37 mins

*****BUZZ PICK*****

ROZ

Arkells were not a band that I had much interest in throughout the years – an inherent bias created due to the amount of adulation the band received in my home province of Newfoundland, with just about everyone talking about how much they couldn’t wait for the band to show up again. That was just it: Arkells really did make sure to stop into our small province whenever they were on tour and honestly, I do respect any type of entertainment that tries their best not to skip over that teeny tiny rock on the very east coast of Canada. Unfortunately for this band, the first time I actually dug deep into an album it was for their 2018 release Rally Cry…. let’s just say that this experience was not a great one. Should I write a band off for a bad first experience? Hell no. With that out of the way, it’s time for Blink Once.

The first thing I noticed after a few passes was that this album is mixed incredibly well. The stereo spectrum is used to the fullest as instruments are panned within the stereo field throughout. The old-school “wall of sound” technique is utilized to give that big stadium anthem feel, piling on layer after layer with each adding its own unique timbre and texture. The hip hop elements add a nice energy to the pop rock that’s laid on top of it, and the album makes sure to let the listener breathe by slowing itself down when it needs to. That song in question, Strong, touches on the death of a dear friend of lead singer Max Kerman and added a much more personal touch to the album. Otherwise, apart from a few not-so-good tracks (No Regrets, One Thing That I Know), the album is packed with catchy, radio-friendly earworms that will be sure to have people’s hands in the air at their shows. Personal standouts for me were Swing Swing Swing (dark, but catchy) and Nobody Gets Me Like You Do (sucker for a good synth, you know me).

My major gripe with this album overall is the uneasiness in my gut when I listen to something that seems almost over-manufactured (almost a parody of the pop genre at certain points) for radio plays and stadium response – many songs felt as though they were pandering to the audience with simple, bubblegum hooks meant specifically to sing and clap along to (Liberation, Years In The Making, Arm In Arm). Now, I know it’s “pop music” at the end of the day, but it still felt a bit off to me this time around. My conclusion: Groundbreaking? No. Fun? Definitely. Blink Once is a feel-good ride that I enjoyed for the most part but unfortunately feels a bit too cookie-cutter at times. PS – Arkells, thanks for playing ABBA during your encore last time I saw you guys. In my good books forever for that one.

Overall Rating: 7.1/10

Favourite Song: Nobody Gets Me Like You Do

LUNDI

Don’t forget to drop the “the”, it’s simply Arkells we’re talking about here and the boys out of Hamilton will let you know it. Arguably Newfoundland’s favourite band and generator of many followers for TSR, Arkells are back with their 6th studio album Blink Once. 

Arkells have a shtick, that’s pretty undeniable at this point. For every album they churn out you can count on 40 minutes of festival built pop rock with great hooks and excellent vocals from lead singer Max Kerman that will always please a crowd. Blink Once is no different with the groovy Swing Swing Swing and album opener Liberation standing out. 

Arkells do offer up a little variance from the norm by utilizing their first ever feature (K-Flay), introducing musical instrumentation such as drum machines & vocal enhancers, sampling other artists work, and by adding interludes, but at the end of the day the final product still doesn’t see them that far outside their comfort zone. 

You can’t really blame Arkells for sticking to the routine though. It’s made them insanely popular in native Canada and their popularity is growing outside the country backed by what is always a live show party. There will always be a market for heartbreak melodies as it’s too relatable and Kerman just knows how to write lyrics about relationships which is shown again on Strong and Arm in Arm. After seemingly 5 albums of it though it would be nice to see Arkells try and innovate their work to the point you feel it’s a risk. Aside from Jackson Square you could put every track they have made in a blender, spit out 5 different albums and nothing would really feel that out of place but at the end of the day it’s admirable in a way as Arkells do what they do really well. 

Blink Once is good. It’s fun. It’s perfectly Arkells. They stay in the zone where they’re comfortable and it works. It’s exactly what you would expect. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Overall Rating: 7.0/10

Favourite Song: Liberation 

REID

Any TSR followers play chel? The first appearance by Arkells on my playlist was Whistleblower from NHL 13. I don’t play often anymore but the best sports video games have a good soundtrack (shout out to NHL 2004). A few years passed, they released High Noon and this Hamilton band from Arkell Street gained a fan. It wasn’t groundbreaking music but it was enjoyable. My fandom really grew when I got the chance to see them live. Lead singer, Max Kerman, is an incredible performer. I’ve seen them play multiple times in St. John’s, Newfoundland, as well as once at Austin City Limits festival in 2018. Each time I’ve left with an appreciation of his great voice, stage presence and crowd interaction.

Arkells have really blown up in Canada. Their albums sell well, they travelled to South Korea in 2018 for the Winter Olympics and they’re all over the place on Canadian TV. I wonder if they’ll be this generation’s version of The Tragically Hip (RIP Gord).  I don’t mean in style of music. They’re very different. I mean a beloved Canadian band without a huge following elsewhere. Unfortunately for me, I haven’t been a fan of their more recent work as they continue to shift further to a pop rock sound. Hopefully Blink Once bucks the trend.

Well, let’s just say it plummeted below the x-axis. Blink Once made the full transition to singalong pop music. There are eleven actual songs on the album and I hear nine that are very similar in make-up – an attempt at a catchy jingle, Max’s vocals with a bit of an odd effect on it and my goodness, the lyrics. Who is writing this? (I’m sure google knows but I digress.) The more I listened, the more it felt like a children’s album. Each song’s lyrics are either slowed down and repetitive or have very corny backing vocals. Even the ballad, Strong. I sympathize with whatever he’s going through but whoever made the heartfelt comment probably didn’t envision it repeated twenty times in a song three minutes long. I couldn’t help but feel annoyed as the album progressed.

I don’t want to hound on the Canadian lads too much but Blink Once just isn’t it. It’s an album that seems happy-go-lucky and upbeat but is actually very sad. Similar to my listening experience. My conclusion is they’ve decided to cater their sound to an adolescent audience and I’m not getting any younger.

Overall Rating – 5.0/10

Favourite Song – You Can Get It