Ruff

by Born Ruffians

Overview

Some bands strive to mature into deeper themes and more thoughtful approaches after their first few albums, but Toronto's Born Ruffians seem to be channeling their inner adolescent on their fourth full-length effort, 2015's Ruff. Between the purposeful simplicity of these melodies, the goofy, often monstrous characters drawn by group leader Luke Lalonde for the album's lyric booklet, and the childlike glee with which he embraces the slightly rude lyrics of "(Eat Shit) We Did It" and "Fuck Feelings," Ruff often sounds like a celebration of the youthful enthusiasm and simplicity that fueled the group in its earliest days in Midland, Ontario. At the same time, Ruff's youthful spontaneity and playful spirit don't mean the band has become sloppy or careless; the performances here are expert and often inspired, and the ethereal soundscapes that punctuate "When Things Get Pointless I Roll Away" and the thunderous distortion on "Let Me Get It Out" show this band's sense of adventure is working well. Ruff feels like a product of the studio, an album where Born Ruffians and producer Jeff McMurrich were willing to work with the songs until they got the sometimes angular sound they wanted, with the twists and turns of Lalonde and Andy Lloyd's guitars carrying the songs, though Mitch Derosier's deep, solid bass pulse and Adam Hindle's simple but thoughtful drumming do wonders to hold the frameworks of the songs in place. On Ruff, Born Ruffians seem to be pondering their own stylistic concepts and the boundaries of their creative process as much as moving on from the forward thinking of 2013's Birthmarks, and they seem to be happy about where they're headed. If it's not the group's finest work, it has a genuine emotional purity and reaffirms Born Ruffians' place on the Canadian indie rock scene. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	10/09/2015
Label:	Imports
UPC:	0880893009911
Rank:	163111

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Born Ruffians   Primary Artist
Adam Hindle   Sleigh Bells,Drums,Snake,Congas,Shaker,Percussion,Tambourine
Joseph Shabason   Saxophone
Steve Hamelin   Drums
Mitch DeRosier   Bass,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Luke LaLonde   Juno,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Talk Box,Mellotron,Backwards Vocals,Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Diana Dikova   Vocals
Gillian Cook   Vocals
The Furies   Vocals (Background)
Andy Lloyd   Juno,Guitar,Keyboards,Mellotron,Guitar (Electric)
Rachel Justine Levy-Johnson   Vocals
Victoria Liad   Vocals
Julia King   Vocals

Technical Credits

Jeff McMurrich   Producer
Joseph Shabason   Saxophone Arrangement
Mitch DeRosier   Group Member
Luke LaLonde   Artwork,Composer,Producer,Group Member,Choir Arrangement,Saxophone Arrangement
The Furies   Choir Arrangement
Andy Lloyd   Group Member
Rusty Santos   Mixing
Adam Hindle   Group Member
Mike Marsh   Mastering
Born Ruffians   Composer