Hockey’s debut album, Mind Chaos, is not as deranged as its title would have you believe. In truth, it’s little more than uninventive dance-rock. However, that is not to say that it’s uninspired. Hockey knows the kind of music they want to make and succeeds in doing so. Mind Chaos is comprised almost entirely of high-energy, guitar-driven dance tracks, especially the album’s singles, Too Fake, Song Away and Learn to Lose. Their choruses are memorable and permeated by heavy bass lines that keep the band driving at a frenetic pace. However, songs such as the sparsely produced Everyone’s The Same Age and the folk-inspired Four Holy Photos do add some variation to the album’s otherwise uniform sound. Mind Chaos isn’t mind blowing, but it’s not trying to be. It’s fun, filled with energy and worth a listen.

Published in Volume 64, Number 9 of The Uniter (October 29, 2009)