Spiritual Machines marks the fourth studio record to date for big-time north of the border rockers Our Lady Peace. In Canada, Our Lady Peace could sell out an arena in a heartbeat, but in the States they continues to look for acceptance in the American market. Their last record, Happiness…Is Not A Fish You Can Catch, seemed to be the fish that got away from being a huge commercial success. The last effort I think at the time of its release was over the average listener’s head as we saw a rise in teen pop sensations and crap-metal. If you’re a fan of OLP, you will respect the growing maturity of the band. If you have not heard of OLP, you’ll love this record.
The record was loosely inspired by Ray Kurzweil’s The Age Of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence. Guitarist Mike Turner became highly engulfed in the book and shared the author’s ideologies with his fellow bandmates. The general theme of the book addresses spirituality, the evolution of technology, and a fictional hypothesis of how machines will eventually be man’s teacher, lover, and companion in the future. The author makes eminent contributions to the overall flow of the music and lyrics by reading select passages as intros to a handful of tracks. “In Repair” picks up on one of the author’s themes and is given a Raine Maida philosophical profile of how people tend to treat other people as machines in their day-to-day interactions.
Maida definitely has one of the most distinctive vocal twangs in business. His vocal presence can be harmonious and beautiful; “Are You Sad” showcases his unique twang. On the other hand, on “All My Friends” he overuses his falsetto twang to the point of irritation.
Besides the general themes of the record, one element that remains consistent is the band’s ability to crank out countless hooky, rock melodies. “Middle of Yesterday” and “Everyone’s Junkie” is a tribute to the underrated talents of Mike Turner’s creative big rock chords. If you want to learn how to play infectious rock chords, study Turner’s technique. When you put all the elements and talents of the band together with Raine’s catchy lyrics, they are a dangerous band that could take over radio with sing along tunes such as “Life” and “Made To Heal”.
Spiritual Machines is another Our Lady Peace record that gets the solid gold seal of approval.
+larry sarzyniak
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