Automan.ca-Pocket Change

Unkle Dunk
2008

One of if not the most influential and copied bands in hard rock history is without a doubt AC/DC. Many acts have copied them over the years with various degrees of success. This band features former Killer Dwarfs drummer turned singer Darrell Millar at the helm. Well, Automan.ca surprise me with their subtlety because they tackle a basic straight forward rock sound a bit differently. Most bands who subscribe to this style of hard rock tend to hit it fast and tie things up rather quickly. They guys take their time and milk the grooves for all they are worth and it’s a gamble, but it works more times than not. The eight tracks here are listed are broken down with half listed as being “side one” and the other half of course listed as belonging to “side two”. I am not sure if this was done because they are vinyl enthusiasts or because they thought the two halves were musically different from one another. They are not exactly re-inventing the wheel here, but they do manage to lead us an enjoyable ride through some raw and easy to like hard rock tunes. They could have taken a few more gambles perhaps it does feel a little safe at times. Yet the major strength of this band is that they can take a simple song structure and spread it out where it feels very complete and they manage to sustain their energy through the entire length of the track. I don’t think this a particularly easy task, but they seem to have the skill and patience to pull it off. Automan.ca manage to thrive on the simplicity of their music rather than be limited by it, the end result is a very decent album.


www.myspace.com/automanca