| · Mid-’90s pop-rock revival band offers the same spin on familiar music. Relive the glory days when Stabilo play Liberty Lounge Thursday, June 3.
In what sounds like a throwback to mid-’90s Canadian rock, Stabilo’s major label debut pays homage – knowingly or not – to the likes of Moist, Rymes With Orange and the cast of Big Shiny Tunes 2. While not a beaming comparison by any stretch, this isn’t a fatal blow to the seven-song effort.
Cupid? offers up a catchy mix of mostly acoustic-centered pop, backdropped by obvious harmonies, reverb-drenched vocals and singalong lyrics. Jesse Dryfhout’s falsetto vocals are slightly better than average and the songs all follow a structure listeners will surely recognize.
Stabilo aren’t breaking musical ground, but then again, they aren’t trying to. Instead, they focus on creating a fun handful of songs, all single and video-worthy. Cupid? is a solidly enjoyable listen, but nothing inspiring and certainly not enough to set them apart.
And just like the host of Canuck pop-radio acts in the days of yore, Stabilo may not have the staying power to pull in listeners for the long haul. But so long as Dryfhout doesn’t go the way of David Usher, the future doesn’t look bleak.
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