Racoon Bandit "Into The Hills"

Collagen Rock Records, 2011

Why does every band sound like Arcade Fire this month?

• On ‘Into The Hills’, Racoon Bandit sounds like a band in a transitional phase. Folky songs such as ‘Wooly Toque’ and ‘River Song’ seem to hint back at an acoustic rootsy past, while indie-pop rockers such as ‘Silver Bullet’ and ‘Get Off’ suggest more than a passing familiarity with the Arcade Fire back catalogue.

• Part of the reason for this schizophrenia may lie in the fact that the band possesses three fully functioning song-writers in Fraser McCallum, Roger Carter and Scott Gallant. There is a dichotomy in this album in that the band sound at their most original on the quieter, quirkier moments, yet the up tempo songs are probably the most enjoyable if not the most inventive.

  Overall ‘Into the Hills’ is an engaging and enjoyable listen. However, this listener can’t escape the feeling that it is possible to get the same thing only better from the Arcade Fire’s debut album or perhaps 'The Suburbs'. Hopefully the band will discover an original voice in time for their next release as tunes such as, ‘Fix It’ suggest they are certainly capable.