For years, Arkells have been delivering a certain kind of Canadian electro-dance, ‘up with life’ and up with collaborators. Yet after the back-to-back last two years of Blink Once (QRO review) and Blink Twice (QRO review), they’ve gone for the heart-on-the-sleeve romantic love of Laundry Pile.
Eschewing their prior electronic sound, Laundry is much more straightforward, even with acoustic songs such as the opener “Life Is”. And virtually every song is a love song, not so much new love as establish love, long romances – though they can veer into the unabashed “What Makes You Beautiful” territory. Yet the emotion really comes through on pieces like the moving title track and the wryer hope for love “Shot In the Dark”.
It all can get a little much, all together and all in love, but the spirit shines through.
