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Review of The Last Clear Thought Before You Fall Backwards.

(The Sorrys, Halifax, NS, CANADA)

by The Sorry's

Reviewed by John Stiles

A review of The Sorrys (er at least why I liked number of the beast.)

"Number of the Beast is a song I only heard a few times but I know that you are one of the few to have the single in extended play..." An approximation of the fact (source: TM)

OK. When I first moved up to Toronto in 1995 I went there to get a job and make contacts with people in the publishing business. I figured that I was twenty-eight, unemployed and needed to take my finger out. Being anti-social, writing in my parents house and picking apples in the orchard wasn't payin the bills y'know? And I didn't want to work at Michelin packing boxes (no offence) or SAGA (or McDonalds). I know, I know... what does this have to do with The Sorrys CD? Well hang on a second. Thing is I never thought I'd write about the Annapolis Valley either but I started going to sleep in my lonely room in Toronto seeing the Gaspereau mountain and seeing myself on a car driving home from a girlfriends' house late at night with my ol man waiting up for me, worried that I'd crash the car. (I guess I don't need to tell you that I did crash the car, twice, too.) Um it was the best of times, though maybe we didn't know it then. There were some characters down there at that time, rockers, grubs, bubs and townies. Very high school but those are the times we all remember, right?

So when I heard that one of my friends growin up (he's in the Scouts are Cancelled (book) credits) was putting out a CD I was excited. I mean we were separated by a few years growing up but whatever, this dude was from the Port and I liked going over to his house playing Beggars Banquet, watching TV on Saturday nights, popping pop corn and plotting of ways to get a little mickey of Vodka out of the LC for the hockey games. I was around 17, (and so what if people used to get me to go to the LC for them?) my friend was 14 or so but whatever, we liked music and he was interested in girls and so on. Normal shit, right?

So this is a review of THE LAST CLEAR THOUGHT BEFORE YOU FALL BACKWARDS by The Sorrys fronted by Trevor Millet, lead singer, Port rat, actor, musician and punk CD seller. What do I think? I think it has personality and lots of rockin, tunes, catchy riffs. I think it is a good party record and I think the razor blades are for the table tops not the bikini line, no? To be fair on Christmas I thought Mr. Millet was talking about going to the Peaches, (the line is actually "Dad don't you worry we're going to be just fine" - listen to it a few times). Sarah on the same song I thought Green, a family we used to play with in Wolfville, as kids. It is obviously not Sarah Green. Is it? OK that's just me, stuck in a time warp, 1983, whatever. Druthers is good, a real rocker. There's a lot related to Halifax where the band lives I think and songs such as Harbour, Lords of Fog Town. There's mention of the Grawood, too, the Dal pub. The Falls shows the band can rock out with a little guitar soloing but I can't get it out of my head that Mr. Millet is talking about The Reservoir and Three Pools. Cutoff GWG's and flip flops and long hair and a car running on little to no gas. I like the asides, the unusual things out of the man's mouth, (druthers, awareness, cheap commodity? forget about my dishes and I never wanted to be one of those couples who argued in a restaurant, (either was I...but I was!) when certainly I thought this CD might be a little bit on the punk side it is but more rock n roll. It is a fun record, with even a little bit of Pogues in places. There's a little swearing on it but the thing is it its weird to see this dude who looks the same as he did when he was thirteen or so but just filled out more, like all of us, no? The thing is why is that we all talk about falling down all the time? Is it a valley thing? If it is, it is a good one. Friggen rights, Trevor. You can get this on itunes (i did) and at stores I 'magine and at gigs most likely...

"Every time I fall from grace I picture your cryin face..."

NB This review originally appeared in the How Yah Doon? blog but financial constraints and credit crunch in London dictate now having the time in London to listen endlessly to Chinese Democracy and record this as originally intended, here. So there's a good side, lots of time for what matters, eh? 

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