The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Month
  • Books + Movies
  • About
16
new
SPILL TRACK OF THE MONTH: ASTARI NITE – “BOWIE IN DAYDREAMS”
SPILL NEWS: RICKIE LEE JONES NEVER DID FOLLOW THE RULES | ‘PIECES OF TREASURE’ OUT APRIL 28 (BMG MODERN)
SPILL NEW MUSIC: INDIE POP SISTER TRIO JOSEPH RETURN WITH ANTHEMIC NEW ALBUM ‘THE SUN’ SET FOR RELEASE APRIL 28 ON ATO RECORDS
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: H.C. McENTIRE – EVERY ACRE
SPILL NEW MUSIC: BODYWASH ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM ‘I HELD THE SHAPE WHILE I COULD’ + SHARES NEW SINGLE
SPILL NEW MUSIC: THE BOO RADLEYS RELEASE NEW SINGLE AHEAD OF NEW ALBUM
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JERRY LEGER – LIVE FROM PARADISE
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BOB DYLAN – FRAGMENTS – TIME OUT OF MIND SESSIONS (1996-1997) THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 17
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MARIANNE FAITHFULL – KISSIN’ TIME (REISSUE)
SPILL NEWS: YOUNG THE GIANT ANNOUNCES NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WITH MILKY CHANCE STARTING MAY 30
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: TEARING UP – “SAID SOMETHING”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: EDNA FRAU – “ON THE LONG RUN”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: GHOST LOVE – “MOURNERS DISCO”
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: KEVIN MORBY – MUSIC FROM MONTANA STORY
SPILL NEW MUSIC: SUBWAY TO SALLY SETS SAIL WITH SECOND SINGLE “LEINEN LOS” + UNVEILS ANIMATED OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: UNIVERSAL HONEY – “TIME BLINDNESS”
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Month
  • Books + Movies
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • Track Of The Day
    • Track Of The Month
    • Books + Movies
    • About
Album Reviews
163
previous article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LAURA SAUVAGE - EXTRAORDINORMAL
next article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE RANGE - POTENTIAL

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE LIFE ELECTRIC – THE REAL YOU

The Life Electric

The Life Electric
The Real You
Zippah Records
RATING

Disco and rock have a messy history. In 1979, the backlash against disco culminated at a baseball stadium in Chicago, where a radio DJ exploded a crate of disco records to the delight of rock fans in the stands. In the decades since, musicians and fans have started to mend the bridges between rock and dance-pop. Boston five-piece band The Life Electric gladly moves this process forward with its new album The Real You and reminds us that feel-good music doesn’t need to be labeled as anything but “fun.”

The Life Electric fearlessly pushes its music across genre boundaries in pursuit of a strong, energetic sound. On The Real You, the group navigates up-tempo rock tunes like the single “Gone, Gone, Gone” and subdued tracks like “Ladders” and “Innocence” with confidence. Touches of funk and hard rock make appearances alongside acoustic guitar and earnest vocal harmonies. Above all, it is accessible pop music, which for some reason is often treated as a thing to be avoided. The Life Electric gives you music that is easy to listen to, but puts an edge on it to keep you interested.

The drums are rich, and there are lush layers of synthesizers that give their tracks a bit of a shine as well. The guitar speaks in many voices, be it a chugging distortion, a sharp-edged solo, or ringing touches of colour over a restrained ballad. Most importantly, the band members seem to be having a good time and exploring the pop-rock spectrum. That spirit keeps the music fresh throughout the album.

Joey Chehade’s vocals are strong and expressive, from a rich low range to a rocking yell that always stays melodic. In rock, a resonant voice is always easier on the ears than a piercing wail, and that is on display here. Lyrically, the band generally ticks off the boxes of accessible poetry, but they occasionally veer off the rails, trying for philosophical wisdom without making much of a real point. For example, the line “innocence is an opiate to assuage the fear of the unknown” sounds smart, but could probably be put a bit more eloquently. It is worth noting, though, that the energy of the album’s tracks is what can, and should, stick with you.

Because The Real You ventures into such a variety of rock and pop styles, the influences you could point to are numerous. When The Life Electric merges sparkly synths with up-tempo rock on songs like “Heartbeat,” it recalls the early work of The Killers. Yet on “Call It Karma,” the disco influence is undeniable, and unstoppably catchy. However, Chehade’s vocals have some real grit – this is not dance music with a rock influence, but the other way around.

The Life Electric seems to be well aware that musical styles and influences are practically begging to be explored; it does not take itself too seriously. The Real You takes rock music and introduces it to a wide variety of secondary styles to see what happens. And what happens, for the most part, is energetic, smart, and, above all, fun. You can’t ask for much more.

Band Links:

band websitefbTwitter-iconsoundcloud icon

close

STAY UP-TO-DATE
WITH OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!

* Mandatory Field

Check your inbox or spam folder now (just in case!) to confirm your subscription.

Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE LIFE ELECTRIC – THE REAL YOU

Author

Shane Davis

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
10
6.0
Total Spill Rating
10
Total Fan Rating
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewsthe life electricthe real youzippah records
album reviews, the life electric, the real you, zippah records
About the Author
Shane Davis
Shane believes in music – the more honest, the better. He listens with his ears, which are really just a tool of the brain, which is definitely and completely subject to the whims of the heart. It's really a team effort.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviews
 
8.0
H.C. McEntire

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: H.C. McENTIRE – EVERY ACRE

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on January 27, 2023
H.C. McEntire Every Acre Merge Records Durham, North Carolina might not exactly be a renowned music center, but that there is quite a good chance that singer-songwriter H.C. McEntire and her latest release, Every Acre, might give that city a [...]
 
8.0
Jerry Leger

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JERRY LEGER – LIVE FROM PARADISE

by Bryan Williston on January 27, 2023
Jerry Leger Live From Paradise Latent Recordings Toronto singer-songwriter Jerry Leger is one of those artists who does not sit still for too long. With his solid motivation and work ethic, it’s little wonder that he is releasing some choice [...]
 
9.0
Bob Dylan
10

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BOB DYLAN – FRAGMENTS – TIME OUT OF MIND SESSIONS (1996-1997) THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 17

by Aaron Badgley on January 27, 2023
Bob Dylan Fragments – Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997) The Bootleg Series Vol. 17 Legacy/Colombia/Sony Bob Dylan continues his bootleg series with number 17. For this box set, Fragments – Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996 – [...]
 
8.0
Marianne Faithfull

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MARIANNE FAITHFULL – KISSIN’ TIME (REISSUE)

by Aaron Badgley on January 27, 2023
Marianne Faithfull Kissin’ Time (Reissue) BMG By 2002 Marianne Faithful was eager to return to a more contemporary sound following albums in which she focused on Kurt Weill. These include Weill recording and performing his opera The Seven [...]
 
8.0
Kevin Morby

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: KEVIN MORBY – MUSIC FROM MONTANA STORY

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on January 25, 2023
Kevin Morby Music From Montana Story Dead Oceans If there’s an artist who can come up with a soundtrack for a neo-Western film today, Kevin Morby might not be the usual choice, but just might be a great one. Scott McGehee and David Siegel [...]

Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: H.C. McENTIRE – EVERY ACRE
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JERRY LEGER – LIVE FROM PARADISE
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BOB DYLAN – FRAGMENTS – TIME OUT OF...
9.0
10
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MARIANNE FAITHFULL – KISSIN’ TIME (...
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: KEVIN MORBY – MUSIC FROM MONTANA STORY
8.0

STAY UP-TO-DATE
WITH OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!

* Mandatory Field

Check your inbox or spam folder now (just in case!) to confirm your subscription.

Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Premieres
  • Track Of The Month
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2023 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: QUADECA – I DIDN’T MEAN TO HAUNT YOU
2318
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE HUMAN LEAGUE – THE VIRGIN YEARS
1830
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SHRIEKBACK – BOWLAHOOLA
755
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ELVIS PRESLEY – ELVIS ON TOUR
682
 
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: SUEDE AND MANIC STREET PREACHERS @ THE COMMODORE BALLROOM, VANCOUVER
520
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CHEAP TRICK – LIVE AT THE WHISKY 1977
494
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BOB DYLAN – FRAGMENTS – TIME OUT OF MIND SESSIONS (1996-1997) THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 17
480
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DAVID CROSBY & THE LIGHTHOUSE BAND – LIVE AT THE CAPITAL THEATRE
347
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NAZZ – LOST MASTERS & DEMOS
332
 
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: GRAMERCY ARMS – “YESTERDAY’S GIRL” FT. LLOYD COLE
318
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LITTLE RIVER BAND – ULTIMATE HITS/MASTERPIECES
316
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JOAN ARMATRADING – LIVE AT ASYLUM CHAPEL
306
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RINGO STARR AND HIS ALL-STARR BAND – LIVE AT THE GREEK THEATRE 2019
261
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES