SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CIGAR CLUB – VOL. II

CIGAR CLUB
VOL. II
INDEPENDENT

Toronto’s Cigar Club remains one of the most unique and vital bands within the Southern Ontario scene. As they make their return with their second full-length studio album, following 2021’s Day, Now and, more recently, a string of live singles throughout 2024 and 2025, the alternative rock band has released Vol. II. While built upon previously released singles “Dark Market,” “Ocean Potion,” and “Rain,” the band is launching their sophomore release exclusively on vinyl in a bold move that challenges the algorithmic driven model of consumption for something far more interesting and curated.

Side A opens with “Dark Market,” a song that leads with a crunchy riff before opening up into a vastly empty soundscape. There is a boundless sense of melancholy as haunting chords linger through a clean guitar tone, leaving a weaving bass line and shuffling drums to fill the space between what’s left between the two guitars and vocals that feel listlessly isolated. “Dark Market” opens the record sonically and tonally as Vol. II revels in such a level of apathy, something that, no matter how big the song grows as it returns to its mean riffs and explosive guitar solo outro, “Dark Market” exemplifies. This is further seen on the emotionally raw “Pushing Daisies.” “A Cure For Loneliness” closes out the first side of the record with a catchy, up-tempo song, driven by ambient guitars and lush vocal harmonies. The song shines for its bridge, a passage that seemingly comes out of nowhere but feels incredibly organic, something that Cigar Club do with ease throughout Vol. II.

“Rain,” previously released in 2024 as a single, opens Side B with a ballad that doubles down on the emotional themes established previously. Reminiscent for that balladry of Nirvana, there is a winding nature to the song as the arrangement slowly develops, becoming fuller with each section. From here, Vol. II closes with a pair of its heaviest songs, “The Dog That Never Dies” and “Welcome To Hell. The former is a slow burning, seething number accented by twisted vocal harmonies comparable to that of Staley and Cantrell before erupting with an epic bridge and closer which very easily could have extended into an entire second half of the song. The latter introduces a stoner rock energy through a riff that very well could be the harbinger of impending doom, effectively bringing Vol. II to a climatic conclusion on a volatile note.

In the age of the all-seeing and ever wise algorithmic titans, Cigar Club have embraced their independence fully as they long for a time where art was king and we, artists and audience alike, were consumed by creation, not content. In fighting the good fight, Vol. II is their sword. Beyond this context, Cigar Club has captured a sense of enduring dread that plagues a generation staring down the barrel of a collapsing world. Amid the turmoil, the band finds a sense of solace through a brilliant songwriting and intense performance that eschews the polish of modern alternative rock in favour of something far more gritty, real, and live. Ultimately, Vol. II establishes Cigar Club as among the most thrilling independent bands of our time.

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