Born Ruffians
Words by Kristen Cochrane
“Ruffians” is certainly a contradictory statement, for simply looking at Luke LaLonde’s brooding Bob Dylan appearance, complete with the coke-bottle glasses, one imagines a more wholesome personality, rather than devious hoodlums. Deceptions of the name notwithstanding, LaLonde and his band mates, Steve Hamelin and Mitch Derosier, have been slowly but surely giving Vampire Weekend a run for their money.
You may think, Born who? Or you may nod your head in excited agreement over the quality jams that Toronto’s Born Ruffians have been whole-heartedly spewing over the past three years. Those who recognize the name and sound may have seen the rhapsodic musicians opening for the likes of Caribou, Tokyo Police Club and Peter Bjorn and John. Additionally, BR have been the opening act for none other than Franz Ferdinand‘s recent North American tour. But really, give it a couple years, and it’s a given that Franz Ferdinand will be opening for Born Ruffians.
Moreover, all wholesomeness vanishes with verses like “I need a girlfriend/I’m lonely/I need to get laid immediately”, as proclaimed vehemently by LaLonde in “This Sentence Will Ruin/Save Your Life”. The perpetually self-deprecating lyrics are what hooks the average person to their songs. Although may some of the songs off of 2008’s Red, Yellow And Blue may not have the most exceptional introductory hooks, what the Ruffians lose melodically, they gain lyrically. And when they ditch the song writing for testing the waters of their first official cover, Grizzly Bear’s ubiquitous club staple The Knife, Luke, Steve exchange the synthesizers and moaning voices for an upbeat vocal pitch and quirky guitar riffs that equate to sheer brilliance.
It’s easy to assume that their hopeless romantic lyrics could go steal after a short period of time, but there is a nostalgic familiarity with the multi-instrumental nu-folk feel, which frequently visit’s the use of a trombone and jazz flute, among others. It’s quite enjoyable in fact, better in practice than when describing it in theory. We do realize some of the lyrics, namely Hummingbird’s “The Buttons on my phone know I hate to be alone/When I dial, I’m in denial” are a little bit too Death Cab For Cutie, and that given their unique sound the charity shop clothing hipsters might take them a little too seriously, but the fact remains, they’ve got what it takes to fill some major festival headlines…at least in this decade.
Posted Wed, May 27, 2009
Comments on Born Ruffians
Woo Kristen.
Posted by: Comer | 31/05/2009 at 10:43