Building Rock and Soul on a Blues Foundation - Dec 23/2004

Mark Weber - Red Deer Express

Few  can  fuse the searing  nuances  of rock,  blues and 
soul like  Calgary-based  trio,  bluessmyth.  They play 
The  Arlington,  Jan 7-8.  Guitarist/lead vocalist Chris 
Yaholkoski, bassist Jason Yaholkoski, and drummer Calvin 
Becker have been collaborating since 2000.  Their latest 
disc,  30 Pieces of Silver, is a terrific journey into a 
range of genres;  it resonates with  a bold  devotion to 
carving  out  a  compelling  niche -  rare in  an  age  of
manufactured pop.  "People will seek out  quality - it's 
just  about  getting through  everything else,"  explains
 Chris, of the struggle to be heard in a fickle, enormously 
profit-driven industry. But these guys have something rich
 and authentic to offer. 

The band's cohesion is obvious, 
and if any one member dropped out, it would be impossible
 to duplicate  the  magic.  "I think I  would just  be done,
 because  the chemistry we have is so intense."  Style-wise,
 the diversity of  Pieces is striking,  from the  intensity 
of Blindboy to the sophisticated,  sultry heat of Rainbow.
 Other stand-outs include the infectious Breathe, and Found,
the inspiring,  brisk rocker  which rounds out  the  disc.
 As the disc took shape, there were no strict categorisations 
to squeeze into.  "We don't like to label the type of music 
we play,"  Chris says. "We play music that moves our audience,
 and  it comes from our souls.  We do have  that rock-solid 
foundation of the blues - but the other elements came along
 as we recorded. Each song took on a life of its own, and 
we  tried  to  recreate  a live,  off-the-floor  feel."
 
bluessmyth's  songs speak of  the loneliness of navigating 
through an  alienating world,  with images of  restlessness
   and personal  crossroads  woven  throughout the entire disc. 
"The band has always played in the spirit in which it was 
founded, " explains Becker. "We try not to look past the 
beauty of the music." The disc's name alludes to perhaps 
the most well-known betrayal in history (Jesus betrayal by 
Judas), and it captures those sensibilities. "It's symbolic,
 as the ultimate betrayal in our Western way of thinking, so 
we thought that that was a good symbol for our album, as most of 
the songs on it are about betayal and redemption." Name aside, 
it's the music that speaks to the heart of what the group is 
about. There's no need to mix in more commercial-friendly 
sensibilities either. The band's following is growing, and 
that initial vision for what they want to accomplish is firm, 
says Chris. "It's an indescribable passion the three of us
     have to play together, andto  make this music."