With the festival focus of the summer I haven’t had any real time to devote to individual bands.
With four fantastic local bands who have newly-released albums I thought I would use this week to shine some light on one of them, Effect and Cause.

I was first introduced to this powerful combo in 2008 while I was judging the X-Fest Battle of the Bands. Although I had known some of the group individually through family and friend connections and the community theatre groups I hadn’t heard them as a unit. Apparently either had most at this point because the group played their first show only weeks before. This is even more impressive when you take in consideration that they were the second place finishers and were all under 18 at the time.

Effect and Cause started with two guitar playing friends. Lewis Parker and Darren Hebner started jamming and soon realized that they wanted to get serious about music. They knew of two members of the high school group CP Express, drummer Cody Iwasiuk and vocalist Katlin Mathison and thought that they would make a good fit. It is important that I stress vocalist, because Mathison was not the original bass player. When that union didn’t work out the guys handed Mathison a hand-me down bass and told him “to figure out how to play it”.

Mathison certainly rose to the occasion and has since managed to conquer the combination of lead vocals and bass (not a popular pairing in most bands). This is aided by the complimentary way in which Hebner and Parker play guitar which is brilliant and enjoyable. The final ingredient is the exceptional skills of Iwasiulk on drums.

When it come to the creative process of actually writing music Effect and Cause are a true collaboration. Hebner describes “The music usually starts out as a riff or a few chords that either me or Lew has been pluckin’ away at. But everyone in the band contributes to the songwriting process. We’re all very opinionated people so we’re constantly picking away at new tunes until we all are satisfied.” As he has to sing them, I guess it only makes sense that Katlin Mathison takes sole responsibility on creating the lyrics.

The bands strength of songwriting comes through as I listen to the seven tracks of their self-titled début album. Recorded in just three days with producer Jack Shapira at a studio in Winnipeg called “Unison Studios”. Hebner says this is a far leap from the recording process of their original EP.

“When we recorded with Jack last year for the EP, it took us nearly four months and dozens of trips to Winnipeg. The songs off the last record needed a lot more work because the writing quality and musicianship just wasn’t there. But for the new record, we booked three days in the same studio with the same producer. We definitely had our act together for this recording. We knew these songs inside and out going into the studio. We pumped out seven tracks with all of their parts in the three days period. The studio is definitely a great way to measure your growth as a band.”

You can even see the growth within the album itself. The first track is entitled The Suit. Perhaps the most youthful song in the bunch, it is lacking a bit of maturity for my taste. I know however that I will probably still catch myself dancing to it and maybe even singing it in my head later today.

Number two is more my musical style. See Spot Run is an upbeat tempo tune with a steady progression throughout. This song showcases the true musicianship within the group. The guitar solos are magnificent and with lyrics such as “sitting here turning riddles into rhymes. I medicate myself and brace the end” overall it is simply pure candy for the sound junkie in me.

The most powerful track on the disk is Shindig. Where “The Suit” lacks in age, “Shindig” shows the growth in these young guys who are clearly becoming men. Although it is of a slower almost country rock sound I hear a little Tragically Hip when I listen to it. The strength in this one truly is in the songwriter as the last few lyrics echoing: “lying in a casket with an angel; living hard, dying young” brings shivers to my body and tears to my eyes. I think anyone who has experience loss of someone who was far too young to go will appreciate Shindig.

The first three songs really encapsulate the theme of the album, they are balancing between youth and maturity, rock, country and that ambiguous word alternative (alternative to what) with stellar musicianship and vocal chops to boot. Man of the Times, Lost, Revolver and Gulls complete Effect & Cause’s first official album which can be picked up in Brandon at Ted Good Music and B.O.B Headquarters.

To find out more info on Effect and Cause visit: http://www.myspace.com/effectandcausemusic.