Review by Taf Rock for MPM
Most people when asked to name a rock band or musician from Canada would instantly respond with a name such as Rush, Bryan Adams, or maybe Nickleback. The Damn Truth may not be as well known or established as that triumvirate but on the evidence of this self titled release (their fourth full length album) they deserve to be mentioned amongst the holy grail of rock music.
Formed in 2011 The Damn Truth are a four piece hailing from Montreal comprising of Lee-la Baum (lead vocals/guitar), Tom Shemer (lead guitar), PY Letellier (bass) and Dave Traina (drums). On the back of their last album (2021’s Now Or Nowhere) the past four years have seen the band extensively touring the UK and Europe whilst sharing stages with musical legends such as ZZ Top, Rival Sons and Styx. Friday 14th March sees the band take the next step on their path to musical greatness with the release of album number four on the Spectra Musique label. Recorded at Bryan Adams Warehouse Studios the band once again turned to Bob Rock to produce the album.
Be Somebody introduces the album and ensures attention is grabbed immediately. ‘I just want to be somebody you love’, mission achieved. 3 minutes 46 seconds (the length of our opening track) is all it will take for newcomers to become fans of The Damn Truth. The opening acoustic guitar gives way to an addictive hookline and gang choral vocal that lifts the listener skywards as we join Lee-la Baum in proclaiming ‘I’ve got my head in the clouds’.
The opening refrain to I Just Gotta Let You Know sees more acoustic guitar this time accompanied by handclaps. ‘You got a hold on me’. Two tracks in and I couldn’t say it better myself as another belting chorus embeds itself in your brain and ‘sends a shiver through your bones’ whilst the fast paced rhythm sweeps you up, carries you away and drives you into a frenzy.
Love Outta Luck opens with the sound of PY Letellier’s funky bass quickly being joined by the thunderous beat of Dave Traina’s drums. Bob Rock’s production perfectly reproduces the big live sound of The Damn Truth bringing the rhythm section to the fore throughout this album. Lee-la Baum claims to have ‘wrote some songs I shouldn’t have sung’. Obviously not a reference to any of the eleven tracks on display here. Rock n roll at its finest, delivered with a confident swagger aided by bar-room style keyboards filling the air with positivity. Check out Tom Shemer’s delicious lead breaks throughout this track.
Taking a break from the frenetic pace of the opening trio of tracks the atmospheric ballad If I Don’t Make It Home displays a gentler side to The Damn Truth. The kind of song that sees mobile phones held aloft, torchlights illuminated in packed arenas. Lee-la’s incredible heartfelt vocal puts the listener in a trance as they hang on every word. Dave Traina’s drums permeating the multi layered soundscape and magnificent vocal choir to hammer home the message. ‘Tell my sister, tell my brother… remember my words …’ The Damn Truth have arrived and are here to stay.
The vibrant and catchy Better This Way looks back at ‘moments that shaped my soul’. Lee-la once again leading the vocal choir immersing the listener in a flood of good time vibes. Tom Shemer’s guitar joins Dave Traina’s drums in ramping up the pace of this celebratory rockfest before the heartfelt strains of Lee-la’s vocals bring the track gently back down to earth and its ultimate conclusion.
Mirror Mirror bolts out of the stalls like an athlete in a 100 yard dash. Lee-la’s passionate vocal ‘echoes deep in your brain’, as the frenetic pace of this track threatens to ‘engulf us in flames’. ‘There is no cure … give it time …’ The Damn Truth will cast their spell on you.
All Night Long may share its title with that of a huge hit for Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow but it’s another 80’s NWOBHM band that I find myself reminded of here as the track is built on a riff that to these ears resembles Di’anno era Iron Maiden. ‘Run away together … Fly to Paris … Be bad in a rock n roll band’. Tempting, inviting words from Lee-la Baum. ‘Tie your boots… put on your hat’. Hold on tight as you ride a glorious express train through the musical landscape ‘all night with the one I love’ culminating in a delightful gut-wrenching scream courtesy of Lee-la.
We turn the clock even further back as The Willow evokes memories of the legendary Led Zeppelin. Lee-la Baum displaying yet another side to her vocals with a performance that Robert Plant himself would be proud of. ‘The willow stands naked and bare… Night turns to day… Weeks turn to winter that lasts for years’. No throwaway lyrics here as aided by woodwind instrumentation delightful atmospheric acoustic guitar conjours up magical images whilst the thunder of Dave Traina’s drums and Shemer’s guitar spearhead rockier moments between verses. Bob Rock’s sterling production work ensuring the beauty of this track is heard in all its glory.
PY Letellier takes centre stage as his funky bass rhythms introduce Addicted. ‘Love… pain … They’re both the same.’ Lee-la warns ‘don’t get yourself addicted to me’. When music is this good those words fall on deaf ears. Shemer’s magical guitar break completing the attack on the senses that leaves the listener reaching for the repeat button.
The multifaceted Lee-la Baum excels across a range of vocal styles. Killer Whale sees her venture further into uncharted waters. She continues to ‘hunt for that untouched place’ all the while singing her heart out as if her life depends on it. Another outstanding display on the drums here by Dave Traina.
Atmospheric organ introduces The Dying Dove ushering us to a pew in the church of The Damn Truth to sit and absorb our final track. ‘Oooh sometimes it’s just a little cloud’ – once again a touch of Robert Plant in Baum’s vocal. Across the whole album the band demonstrate influences from a bygone age when rock ruled the universe. These influences thrown into a melting point of styles, the heat turned up and a feast of aural delights is prepared for the listeners consumption. The calming effect of the eastern tinged opening verse gives way to an intense sonic explosion as ‘I close my eyes … See it all again … Laugh to myself’.. The range of emotions portrayed herein culminating in love – ‘we all need some love’ after all. The album closes with a ripple of applause, a ripple that will soon become a thunderous ovation within the live arena as the band take to the road and tour this most excellent album.
I ask you once again to name a Canadian band or musician. One worthy of joining the legendary status of the afore mentioned triumvirate. A band for the here and now and the future. Shout that name loud and clear with no hesitation. It’s THE DAMN TRUTH!!!
Fans can pre-order the CD and vinyl here – https://thedamntruth.bigcartel.com/.
The digital edition of the album can be pre-saved here – https://music.spectramusique.com/tdtalbum
