When three small-town guys from Charlottetown come together in artistic collaboration in the big city, the quirks of city life are sure to shine through in their work. This is what we see in Kiwi jr’s debut album, Football Money.
Two years in the making, the Football Money comes at us a month and a half after the release of their single “Leslie” and is peppered with social commentary. This jangly garage-pop album digs into the the grittier parts of life and living surrounded by all of Toronto’s hustle and bustle.
“We’d all been living in the city for years before writing the songs, and then rehearsing downtown, taking hour long streetcar trips at night across town trying to get home,” says band member Jeremy Gaudet.
“I think those types of experiences earlier on together writing as a group really informed the songs. [. . .] If we formed this band in Vancouver or Halifax or Montreal, I don’t think we would sound the way we do or write about the same stuff.”
“Salary Man” digs into the meat of that sentiment by discussing the less-glamorous side of office jobs. Having no time to take care of your body or have concern for the feeling of those you interact with is contrasted with the “happy happy, joy joy” of being a salaried employee.
“Gimme More” and “Nothing Really Changes Here” are two other tracks that showcase the oddities of city life. While there is an ever-present and growing need for constant stimulation, things still somehow seem to stay the same. People all act and dress in a similar way, interactions become repetitive and feel less genuine, and prices just stay high.
But the band do touch on other topics too, namely relationships. “Swimming Pool” takes on the sounds of a potentially regrettable but intoxicating summer affair, and “Comeback Baby” collects memories of all the tiny little moments that add up to something meaningful — and that you wish you could get back.
The album’s sound has a polished production quality while still offering rawness of emotion and deep, wavering guitar riffs. In complement of that are the lyrics, which are the product long thought-over concepts and ideas that are all too relatable for east coasters who have fled to the big city.
Fitting somewhere in the middle of jangle-pop, alternative rock and new wave, the album packs the right mix of heavy emotion, deep thought and upbeat cheer. Football Money is a strong debut for Kiwi jr, and we hope it is not the last we hear from them.