The Waking Eyes Video Sound. Release Date : September 7, 2004. Label: Warner. Rating: Andy doesn't dig rating stuff. This is shameless! This bunch of fellas from Winnipeg make absolutely no apologies for rocking as hard as they possibly can. From the first note out of your speakers from this CD, you'll know what I mean. You'll be having fun instantly. The first track is "Watch Your Money," also the first single for the CD. Scribbles upon scribbles of guitars, a hundred million dingly cymbals, and from the outset, some basic exclamations of 'I'm having so much fun playing this song, I just have to yell something.' And it doesn't stop for the entire CD. It's 40-odd minutes of yelping and wooing and shredding. It's the embodiment of everything rock. Some bands just have this knack - they seem to do it with such ease. Other bands struggle or try to hard and end up sounding like they're forcing themselves to have fun. Not so here - The Waking Eyes sound like this is completely natural to them and like they've never held such joy in their lives than when they recorded these songs. The feeling is extraordinarily raw and live and casual, like all their sudden yells in the middle of the songs were just left in where they naturally occurred, rather than being placed there. And if we are to believe everything they say about the word 'woo' having to be honest in order to be acceptable, then that's likely what did in fact happen. In the heat of the moment, a cry was uttered, and left in for its spontaniety value. The result is a CD drags you relentlessly into its waving arms, whirls you around the floor, and leaves you breathless in the corner in its wake, happy as a pig in shit. The damn songs grab your head and bop it back and forth for you. You no longer have control. Don't even try to do anything stupid, like sit motionless or do the dishes or something while this is on. But if you do find yourself doing the dishes while this CD is playing, be prepared to probably break a few while you jive around in front of your sink. And heaven forbid you're anywhere public listening to it on a portable CD player, because you will look like a lunatic dancing down the street and wooing right along with the band. I'm not kidding. Even as I write this, I don't think I've made so many typos in my life because I can't keep firm control of my hands right now. Describing further what the songs sound like seems almost lame and pointless - it's just got the regular rock instruments, but... LOUD. Feeding back. Twirling high, thrumming low, just going. Just going. It's just that the combination and structure of those standard rock instruments is so carelessly perfect. The voices are kind of rustic and scritchy, but can flow smoothly into a swimmy lull at times, like on the chorus of "On A Train." Man, is it cool for me to still get this excited about music? I can barely handle this. I've tried in vain to find the insincere 'woo' that they hinted at when I interviewed them. They all sound like they'e pretty honest to me. They want to rock your night to pieces, so let them. Song of choice : Oh come on, I can't pluck a favourite out of this. "Watch Your Money" is a contender just because its first on the CD so it stands out as an introduction. But actually, okay, I'll bite... "Takin' The Hard Way" is my favourite for sheer insanity value. -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere The Waking Eyes website Published : February, 2005.