Album 4

Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow & Blue

Born Ruffians are a Canadian based "indie rock" (this is said loosely) band and one of my all time favourites. They use a fusion of pop rock and indie to create a lighthearted, energetic version of what bands such as Vampire Weekend or MGMT tried to achieve, however with less synth, more jangly guitars and more well-structured songs. The sound they produce seems like a lot more than 3 members are playing simultaneously with thick instrumentation used throughout all the songs, ranging from harmonica to tiny synths. However aside from that they are a basic 3 piece of drums, guitar and bass that make the most of the instruments. Personally, I think the weakness and high note usage of the guitar in the songs "I Need a Life" and "In a Mirror" creates a much nicer depth rather than just bar chords being played or basic fingerpicking. It compliments the vocalist's tone and the various harmonies particularly in "I Need a Life". All this said, the main source of the energy within this album is the connection between the drummer and bassist and their simple ideas and hooks that blend perfectly.

In terms of bands that are similar, the only one I can compare them to are the Violent Femmes in their earlier days, yet more modernised and wiser from mistakes made in the post-millenium indie/art rock phase, yet still taking notes from more popular music by introducing synth or repeated, easy phrases that anyone can participate with. For that listen to "Little Garcon" if you haven't already. It's not an iconic album and probably never will be especially with their ability of releasing even less popular records. But in my opinion serves as a great example of melodic indie rock.