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Applebee's Bar

(Note: if you're here strictly for the chips skip to the final paragraph)

Since the inception of television it seems that reality TV shows (centered around 'talent' competitions) have existed. For the last 15(?) years, the focus of these shows seems to be yodeling, you know, hitting as many un-necessary notes as possible to illustrate ones vocal prowess. American Idol, The Voice..whatever current show that broadcasts people vying to have someones hand shoved up their ass so that they can show off their ability to sing words written by others and hit notes that are dictated to them. At the end of the day there are amazingly talented singers that are given the ability to broadcast their skills to a nation, is this good? I don't know, what I do know is that Spraynard's latest album Mable absolutely blows away any of those puppets trying to shortcut their way to the top.

Spraynard's previous album, Funtitled (their 2nd album) was one of my favourite of 2011 so when I heard that they had gotten back together and were releasing a new album in 2015 I was pretty excited. I went into Mable with high expectations and a fear that it couldn't live up to the(my) hype. Just 10 seconds into Applebee's Bar, Pat Graham slaps you in the face with some of the most beautifully sung words you've ever heard (and Spraynard manages to keep that high for the following 28 minutes [definitely not a let down]). They're a three piece punk band with 90's alt rock and emo influence (but not the overly whiny part). The combination of Spraynard's music with their vocals, melody and lyrics leaves one absolutely awestruck. The lyrics are personal, relatable and even when they're somewhat negative (lyrically Mable is noticeably less posi than Funtitled, which makes sense. Between albums 4 years passed, they broke up[? went on hiatus?]..they lived.) they somehow come across with stunning optimism that can't help but lift your spirits and convince you that life is good.

At this point Spraynard has released three full length albums (Cut and Paste, Funtitled and now Mable) and a handful of 7"/splits/singles. There has been noticeable progression and maturity with each new release. Spraynard started as a very post Latterman band with Cut and Paste (heavy Latterman (and others of that ilk) influence all over the place). With the release of Funtitled Spraynard started to develop their own identity while keeping 1 foot firmly planted in the temple/grave of Latterman. Mable I feel brought Spraynard into their own, there's musical influences but they don't overshadow the genuine uniqueness that is Spraynard. The joy that Spraynard exudes is beyond words, pure untainted beauty it can bring you to tears of joy simply from listening. Suffice to say, after the first few listens, Mable shot into my top 5 of this year, if not the pinnacle.

The best part of expectations is that they can be surpassed. Last night I cracked a bag of President's Choice Kettle Cooked Sea Salt and Malt Vinegar potato chips. My counterpart had made homemade dill pickle dip and they seemed to be the most suited bag in the salty cellar to go with the dip. When I looked in the bag they looked like your standard kettle cooked chips; not overly greasy, will be able to stand up to dipping and should provide some added S&V flavour. I popped one in my mouth and noticed that the Salt and Vinegar flavour was fairly present..some might say towards the extra/loads of side of the flavour spectrum. Good crunch. They were absent of the sweetness that some malt vinegar chips bring to the table. All around a good chip/chip flavour. I proceeded to make my way through the bag, dipping here and there, enjoying about half of the chips neat. As I progressed I noticed that my mouth was feeling the vinegar burn more than usual. Being the health conscious chip enthusiast that I am, I stopped 3/4...maybe slightly over 3/4 through the bag. At that point I realized they were even more seasoned than I had originally assessed. Yeah dude. When I woke up this morning I came to the realization that these kettle cooked goodies were (I think) the closest to Rave Extra Salt & Vinegar that I've had in 10 years. Well done President's Choice, you did it again.

Stay hydrated,
Marc  

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