Class of 91 is a Canadian band that formed in 2019 and consists of Ian Ferguson (vocals/guitar), Brock Sarault (guitar), Fred Pantalone Jr. (bass) and Steve Clifford (drums).They mention they “write songs about challenges in the human story with a sonic design that splits the difference between guitar-infused indie rock, acoustic and punk, drawing inspiration from such artists as Bob Mould, Guided by Voices, DIIV and Sebadoh. The band just released Lost Stories which explores human conflict, mental health and duality as its prevailing themes.
They open with “Look How Far We’ve Come” which is definitely in line with some of the influences they mention. There were a couple of other bands that came to mind as well like Wire,The Who and a number of other artists from that era. The band rocks hard and the song has a steady stream of rocking riffs. I was impressed by the technical and creative aspects of the band. I also thought the production was just about perfect for the music they play.
““These Four Walls”” is a song about the pandemic which you might deduce from the title alone. The song comes out of the gates bursting with energy and an undeniable sort of adrenaline rush. It’s a catchy tune with an empowering energy and cathartic quality. I would say this is one of the highlights on the album.
On “Pull Me Back Around” the story chronicles its protagonist’s struggle with anxiety and a self-imposed sense of shame and failure. Similar to the previous song it’s high energy but arguably contains the most memorable hook yet which I felt like could be on repeat. They ramp up the BPM on “When Do We Fall” and make the songs a little punk sounding. It’s another solid song and the band sounds super tight and in the pocket. The 70’s punk aesthetic mixed with post-punk worked very well.
The centerpiece is “Highways” which is six minutes long. Given the style of music they play I wasn’t expecting this song to be that long but they do kind of switch it up a bit. There’s some resemblance to early U2, The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Stone Roses. These are all band’s I happen to love. I also loved the shoegaze flavor of this song which reminded me of band’s like Ride and My Bloody Valentine.. The instrumental aspects are fantastic and extra kudos to the rhythm section on this song.
The band continues with “Polaris” which you might consider the ballad on the album while “Golden Hour” ramps up the energy once again. We hear an acoustic guitar on the closer “Simple Human Love Song” which is the most intimate sounding song.
This is a killer album that feels cohesive from beginning to end. I loved the retro style the band brings to the table which also combines with their own signature sound. They pull it off and think if you’re a fan of the aforementioned bands you should check this out.
Heather Savage
