The Summerlad

Exclaim!
Dec 2005
The Summerlad Themes: International (Saved By Radio)
Grace and volume need not be awkward neighbours in the realm of studio-savvy guitar rock. This disc also galvanised fledgling Calgary label Saved By Radio’s reputation for putting out top-notch recordings by bands that ought to be way better known beyond Alberta’s provincial boundaries (Vailhalen, Old Reliable, Falconhawk). Right from the jagged first blasts of opening track “Scalpel Morning,” Themes: International makes an equal case for the gritty club stage and the avant-garde gallery. To a song, the disc rewards careful listening by revealing myriad subtle, gingerly plotted rhythmic and melodic elements half buried beneath multi-layered, buzz-saw guitars and bottom-end drone. Chuck Molgat
- Exclaim!

Exclaim March 2007

The Summerlad
Marquee Room, Calgary AB - February 14
By Aubrey McInnis

Decorated like a junior high Valentine’s Day dance with red flood lights, red streamers and balloons, the mood shifted the moment a fog machine finished turning the air into a Loveless pink. Armed with an arsenal of specifically tuned guitars, the Summerlad dove into a breathtaking hour-long My Bloody Valentine tribute set. Joined by guest vocalists Liz Collins (duplicating the pitch-bending magic on a micro-Korg) and Jamie Fooks, the six-piece floated through four years of the seminal quartet’s mesmerizing history. Lovingly recreating everything from “To Here Knows When” to “You Made Me Realise” to the stellar “Soon,” their note-perfect tribute strongly demonstrated a sacred respect for the sorely missed shoegazers.
- Exclaim!

“When crusaders like The Summerlad pop up, you can’t help but get psyched about a re-energized fighting spirit among rookie Canadian bands. Here’s hoping records like Distance are just the tip of the iceberg from the new school of the young and desperate.” (3 stars out of 4) - Ryan Watson

"A call to arms or the most stirring rock album of the year to date? You decide." (41/2 stars out of 5) - Jill Wilson

Seven Hundred Bucks My Butt
By Chuck Molgat

According to the liner notes, this entire undertaking was “recorded in Western Canada for $700,” which suggests the members of the Summerlad are either liars, thieves, counterfeiters or sheer geniuses.

Seven years ago, The Summerlad’s previous incarnation, The Primrods, got screwed over big time by a U.S. major label. No surprise, then, that this exceptionally gifted group of Calgary musicians continues to move towards the artsy fringes of the rock realm rather than attempting to curry commercial radio favour.

Accordingly, most of the songs on this nine-track disc clock in around the six-minute mark. This is dense, driving, guitar-laden rock in the aggressively refined spirit of Swervedriver and My Bloody Valentine, punctuated with clever, nook-and-cranny arrangements and an arsenal of nifty studioisms. Though rhythmically heavy at times, the whole shebang is informed with a plush underlay of melodic nuances, the likes of which sometimes take a couple listens to pick up on and fully appreciate.

The disc does stray into relative low-fi territory on occasion, but maintains pleasingly solid production qualities for the most part.
- Prairie Dog

by Martin Morrow

Third week peak at the Rodeo
Laurie Anderson charmed, Azimuth surprised and The Summerlad soared
Reviews
2005 HIGH PERFORMANCE RODEO

Another familiar premise got a new treatment when local band The Summerlad unveiled their own "Symphony of a City," City of Noise, in a one-night-only performance. For this largely instrumental work in four movements, commissioned by the Rodeo, the four lads (guitarists Garrett McClure, Sean Grier and Arran Fisher, and drummer Dean Martin) and their new keyboardist Meagan Kelln augmented their sound with five additional guitarists, a four-member chorus and a second percussionist. The result sent their hypnotic, driving music soaring into the realms of the majestic. A great way to top off the festival’s third week.
- FFWD Weekly