“Was it good for you?” asks the lead singer in the appropriately hazy “The Other Side of A Dream.”  It was actually very good for this reviewer, at least for a short while.  At its best, the Toronto band’s second release sounds like 2006 in London (or ’03 in New York or Manchester in ‘79) never left.  Fans of The Editors and Interpol (which, we all know, was just early ’00s Joy Division) will be all over this like white on rice.  Their first single “Even You Out” gets the morose post-punkers party started beautifully with a gorgeous melodic intro; “We Are On Time” boasts a stellar rhythm section and guitars that are sometimes in concert, sometimes warring with each other.   Think “Munich” redux.

However, while the punchy, energetic first half really sings, the second half ‘s dream-poppier portion, which features the standout “When I Speak of Violence” is, pun intended, sleepy. The closer “Set Your Sights”  is the closest these guys get to making to making their listeners dance in these neo-disco times. Despite the fact that it is perhaps, a little too late to the goth renaissance party, Under Cover of Brightness is possibly one of the best releases of the year.

(self-released, no address provided)