Excuse Me. excels at translating their technical skills into a unique energy that persists and twists throughout their self-titled album.
Excuse Me. is pushing the boundaries of alternative rock with a knack for cohesive experimentation. Their self-titled album, released April 2020, is a cumulation of varied musical backgrounds; the intersections of each member’s talents and tastes drive the innovation behind the arrangements on Excuse Me. the record. The self-made Guelph band pursues inspired takes from various recording sites, including a mix of bedrooms, their homes studio, and Howl Studio in Oakville, ON.
Excuse Me. achieves an alt-rock sound that is both catchy and provocative, taking the melody through modulations in key and swells in energy. “For Stephen” opens with the gradual build of lyrical questioning, ending in an acceleration into the next track. The band’s passion for musicianship is palpable in the energy of “Lionheart”, while the synth hints at their talent for making cool sounds with a diversity of instruments. “Dopamine” feels like an ode to that happy hormone we all need from time to time and sometimes can’t quite reach. In those melodic depressions, the song draws the scope into focus on the ever-evolving motion of life: “Remember the seasons, nothing is permanent”.
Of all the five-piece rock bands writing and recording from home, Excuse Me. is accomplishing something distinctly new and different with their mix of vocal tones and production techniques. Using their songs and social presence to encourage healthy mindsets, Excuse Me. asks the hard questions: “How is it that you can go your whole life, always questioning, not accepting, never sure of anything”. While “In the Beginning/ The Lake” opens with a chorus of voices reminiscent of chant, “The Bike Song” changes timing like shifting gears, coming together from multiple parts: “the whole world is laid out at your feet, but don’t forget about me.”
“Vesper” is such a beautiful song and elegant end to the record, gathering all the emotive energy up in the surrender: “I would have done all you asked me to, lost in the haze with you”. The recording has that in-your-living-room feel featuring a warm trumpet outro, circling back to the intimate introduction in the opening track. Not only does every song transition beautifully into the next, but the final note of the final track feeds right back into the beginning in a seamless loop through the song cycle: “Wandering aimless, we soaked our boots”.
Excuse Me. excels at deepening their sonic whims and pivoting mid-song, their technical skills translating into a unique energy that persists and twists throughout all eleven tracks. Shifting pace, modulating keys, and introducing new tones, it’s apparent these musicians know what they’re doing. Although the arrangements diversify the overall tone of the record, Excuse Me.’s sound is cohesive and characteristically theirs.
Like many performers, the members of Excuse Me. are dreaming of safe, crowded concerts, but until that’s possible, keep your eyes open for tickets to their next livestream show.
