The Philharmonic
Acerbic / Better and Better

With a series of releases and a bit of a tour all jotted in the calendar for 2006, Vancouver three-piece, The Philharmonic, are poised and ready for small-scale domination, armed with crunchy, jangling guitars and two contrasting lead vocals.

‘Acerbic’ comes at you with a duel between the vocals that is mirrored in the complexity alternated between guitar and bass. The comparative space of the verse is then cast aside as the chorus unites the vocals to soar above a crescendo of melodic guitars.

Having allowed the bass guitar access to too much caffeine, ‘Better and Better’ races along with the guitars stabbing their way into the mix. The vocal stops just short of becoming shouty, which has saved them from Kenickie comparisons, but there is something in that reflection for the carefully planned urgent messiness of this song.

It’s quite arty, a bit rocky, and may well be the Canadian answer to Fleeing New York.

Watch The Philharmonic – Acerbic

The Philharmonic

Written by Fenton on 5th February 2006

Steve Fenton writes in our music, words, and culture categories. He was Editor in Chief for The Mag and covered live music for DV8 Magazine and Spill Magazine. He was often found in venues throughout the UK alongside ace-photographer, Mark Holloway. Steve is also a technical writer and programmer and writes gothic fiction. Steve studied Psychology at OSC, and Anarchy in the UK: A History of Punk from 1976-1978 at the University of Reading.