The radio-ready post-grunge on this Winnipeg band’s debut CD is the exact stuff Power 97 listeners send straight to the top of the charts. There’s no doubt singer-guitarist Bekki Friesen, guitarist Josh Bedry (also of Electro Quarterstaff), bassist Kurtis Wittmier (also of Hot Live Guys) and drummer Steve Hrycyshyn have talent. Still, the 13 songs on The Luxury come off as too calculated and over-thought. Three years in the making, the disc was tracked in part at a Hollywood studio owned by Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum, and it includes three collaborations with P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel. There are some decent melodies and riffs here, but nothing you won’t forget as soon as the album’s over. If you’re looking for something that’s really gritty and honest (as Domenica’s press notes suggest that The Luxury is), you’re better off going to an Electro Quarterstaff or Hot Live Guys gig.
Streaming MP3 of the song “Above Me” will be available Thursday, Nov. 5.

Published in Volume 64, Number 10 of The Uniter (November 5, 2009)