Grand Theft Bus – Made Upwards

This is a very good record. This assertion is front and centre. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that’s enough in this case. Made Upwards, the second from Grand Theft Bus, is smart, challenging and gratifying. A rare one even, as it injects intelligentsia into indie-pop without adding pretension, which is inherently difficult. Still, I think it’ll go virtually overlooked. Too bad, because everyone reading this site will find something in Made Upwards to love. For me, it’s all of it.Quick history lesson: Grand Theft Bus are from New Brunswick, Canada, and have been toiling in Canada, cross the country on tour for a decade or so. In Canada, they cut their teeth on the improvisational jamband scene, often extending songs to see where they lead, or carving new ones out of the chaos. All that has changed here. Made Upwards plants its talons firmly in the strength of the quintet’s songwriting, fronted by the dual vocal work of brothers Tim and Graeme Walker. Throughout, they experiment with scores of influences, including Radiohead ('Automatic'), Television ('Do I Have To Dance') and even Kansas ('Private Wars'), but somehow, the cohesion remains consistent. As such, it’s easy to pinpoint where this all originates, it’s difficult to assert what has emerged from these weighty origins. And therein lies the adoration with Made Upwards. Everything thrown at the wall sticks.And so we have a juxtaposition of sorts. Made Upwards frankly disregards classification, but in doing so firmly plants each song in a hardened, stylistic aesthetic. In theory, this makes little sense. For example, ‘Roses’ to's and fro's with a Maximo Park-like swagger, minus the Northern accent, while ‘I Guess Not I Guess’, a favourite in Canada is much darker, haunting and downbeat, recalling Television, Talking Heads and Diamond Dogs-era Bowie. The songs dichotomize the influences, shifting from bright, translucent pop to dark, suspicious no-wave in a matter of a few minutes. It’s confusing, but all the better for it. Yet, whatever the style or approach, Made Upwards succeeds. It is unrelentingly challenging, as each moment that passes asks more questions than it answers. It may not be for the pusillanimous listener, but it sure is a delight. Here’s hoping it is given the attention it deserves. 75%.Grand Theft Bus on MySpace