Motorists Look to College Rock's Jangly Past on Surrounded, Their Excellent Debut Album

Musically, the Toronto three-piece may be exploring past decades, but their lyrical themes of technology and isolation are of the current trying times

It’s too bad that I.R.S. Records aren’t around anymore because Surrounded, the debut from Toronto’s Motorists, would be a perfect fit.

In the mid-eighties, the record label dominated the college rock, new wave, and punk scenes with a roster that included the first era of R.E.M.’s career, Wall of Voodoo, The Go-Go’s, The English Beat, and many other defining bands of the period. After many attempts to revive the legendary label, I.R.S. is only a welcomed memory.

Over forty years since the label’s founding, here we are, and its influence is still felt throughout music, this time in the form of a three-piece from Canada. Longtime friends and bandmates, the trio relocated to Toronto after working the Calgary scene for many years. The fellowship is noticed immediately on Surrounded as vocalist and guitarist Craig Fahner works in jangly hooks and chorus pedal drenched power chords around Matt Learoyd’s bass grooves and drummer Jesse Lock’s energetic fills.

It’s apparent that early R.E.M. is a significant influence for Motorists with “Vainglorious” sounding like “Moral Kiosk,” but the band includes nods to so many great acts that they end up working out their sound. On the opening title track, Fahner explores isolation by escaping his surroundings while laying out a catchy chorus in the vein of Hoboken’s The Bongos.

“Hidden Hands” taps into a more modern sound of the similarly influenced Parquet Courts, but the mid-album track “New Day” shows diversity in the psychedelic explorations of The Byrds’ first few albums. “Walled Garden” is another compelling effort, while closer “The Door” saves the best for last with its garage rock harmonies and Lock’s steady drum work.

At the same time, there’s a real post-punk undercurrent to Surroundings but think of it in the form of Wire and Gang of Four’s genre-defining work from the seventies instead of the endless unidentifiable UK bands currently dominating the scene.

The first half of the year included so many post-punk releases that I found myself annoyed with the genre as a new buzz band released something each week that bled into everything else from the present scene. But with Surrounded, Motorists switch up the formula by working in catchy melodies straight from Peter Buck’s Rickenbacker. Combined with the themes of isolation and overbearing tech, Surrounded works differently from those releases.

While there isn’t anything new with Motorists, that’s just fine. Their debut lays down a foundation that is an exciting reminder of how wonderful a three-piece band doing their thing can be. R.E.M. didn’t sound like they did on Murmur forever, and Motorists will no doubt carve their own path with time as well.

Surrounded is available now on Bobo Integral Records.

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