The Can Utility is another Richmond based Indie band on the Pop Faction label, and compared to some of the other artists on the label that I have been fond of, I wasn’t as into these guys. Primarily because there is a much lighter and dare I say, Emo vibe to what the band is doing.  “Merlin’s Blade” is the first proper song, and despite the cool bass lines and tribal drums, Noelle Schintzius’ hiccupping alto vocals were hard to get used to.  The melodic, angular guitar breaks are well placed and give the song an additional edge.  On the surface, it’s just too happy for me!  “Blood For Heroes” offers a tight rhythmic bounce and sweet floating guitars, with Noelle’s voice sounding much better here, as a more honeyed and natural alto.  There are some back up screams that expand the dynamics but again, the vibe is still relatively on the lighter side of things and leaves me kinda cold. “Fish Don’t Drink H2O” is probably the song that I enjoyed most, with its low-key groove and variety of guitar sounds and stirred up rhythms.  “Ronald Miller” and “Paddleboat Pond” continue down similar melodic paths, but at this point, my interest has waned even further.  Nothing really catches my ear on this EP, and nothing really tugs at my black heart either.  While there are many bands in the Indie scene that have the potential for crossover with fans of early Goth, the Can Utility is not one of them.  Obviously, this does not mean that they are a bad band, but from my perspective as a dark music fan who primarily judges music on how deeply my emotions have been stirred, I am unable to comment much on what this band is doing.  And I am not sure what merit they would have to a dark music audience.  It was sort of cool to hear something different, but I was reminded why I so thoroughly enjoy the usual kind of music I listen to.

Track list:
1.) Power 0.42
2.) Merlin’s Blade
3.) Blood For Heroes
4.) Fish Don’t Drink H2O
5.) Ronald Miller
6.) Paddleboat Pond

The Can Utility is:
Billy Davis: guitar/vocals
Noelle Schintzius: bass/vocals
Sammy Ponzar: drums/vocals

The Can Utility:
http://www.thecanutility.com

Pop Faction:
http://www.popfaction.com
 

07/13/04