This Canadian folk/punk trio is known for the intensity of their stage shows and raucous energy. On
Days Into Years, their playing still has a burning emotional intensity, but the tempos are measured and the songs are packed with images of mortality, aging, and the emotional cost of war. The album was inspired by a side trip the band took on their last European tour. They discovered graveyards in France and Belgium with countless Canadian names carved on WWI-era headstones and started writing songs that dealt with the universal themes of grief and loss.
Days Into Years topped Canadian radio's roots music chart after its release in September of 2011, and it's easy to understand its appeal. Mark Sasso's expressive lead vocals convey the anguish and desperation of the characters they sing about while the instrumental work of Stephen Pitkin on drums and percussion, and Casey Laforet's inventive contributions on lead guitar, bass pedals, and keyboards provide subtle, cinematic coloring to the tunes. They explore the tragedy of young men coming to terms with the realities of war on "Their Will," where shrieking guitars mimic the sounds of battle while the vocal harmonies wail with anguish. Dissonant guitars and tremulous vocals also add drama to "Will They Bury Us?," a song for dying men struggling to come to terms with the growing darkness that surrounds them. The aftermath of battle is the subject of "If I Get Old," a slow dramatic rocker that contrasts the serenity of a life in the countryside with the disturbing memories that haunt even the strongest survivor. When Sasso sings, "I'll never be the same again without my youthful heart," it's a heartbreaking moment. ~ j. poet