Imagine this if you will, the year is 1999, it is the beginning of Summer, and you’re surrounded by nothing but wilderness and beautiful landscape. You’re about to take a dive off of a 40-foot cliff into a lake, which is really living in the moment.
Now the loud music you have blasting on your stereo smacks you back into reality. Some fine-tuned punk rock, heavy on the melody and heavy on the fun. You pull off your headphones and stand up to stretch. What was going on before? Were you dreaming?
I was a part of a school-sponsored trip to Canada the Summer before my Junior year of High School, and what was described above actually happened. This was my formal introduction to the wonderful Country of Canada. Fast forward some twenty or so years, and Canada isn’t just a vacation destination for those who love the outdoors.
Canada has become an epicenter for punk rock for the past ten to fifteen years, boasting such great bands as Propagandhi, The Flatliners, Belvedere, Mute, and Silverstein. That’s only naming a few of the many bands who have put Canada on the map for punk rock music.
Trashed Ambulance is a three piece skatepunk/pop punk band out of Red Deer, Alberta and Future Considerations is the band’s third full length album. It is also the first album with the current lineup.
For me being a relatively new fan, after giving Future Considerations a spin, it felt like I have been listening to these guys for years. The influences in their music is instantly apparent and adding their own sound is what drew me to writing this review.
The opening track “56” sets the tone for what is going to be a very loud, energetic, upbeat, melodic and fun album. “Menace” is a standout track, mixing elements of pop punk and skatepunk into a very jumpy and poppy rock tune. On one hand, I can hear Pennywise, specifically their sound from the album All or Nothing, and on another hand I hear NOFX on this track. I really love the dueling vocals with Emilie Plamondon and Robbie Moron on “Stalk in the Park,” it gives a vibe reminiscent of the cover of “Fairytale in New York,” by No Use for a Name. “Blip on the Radar” is my absolute favorite track on the entire album and can be considered a punk rock anthem. I can already picture the crowd singing this one aloud while pumping their fists and chugging their domestic beers. This is a really fun and catchy tune that will likely become a fan favorite.
Trashed Ambulance consists of three members: Josh Hauta – Guitar/Vocals, Jason “Ozone” Ezeard – Bass/Vocals and Riley Bourne – Drums/Vocals. “We tried not to make a paint by numbers skate punk record,” exclaims Hauta. “This album was a true collaboration of ideas between the band members and producer Casey Lewis. We are proud of how it turned out and while we’re under no illusions that we will change the world with a skate punk record in 2022, we are still stoked to be able to present an accurate representation of the band and how we operate in current times.”
They should be proud, this is another solid effort by a hard-working punk rock band. I am pretty confident it will be in heavy rotation among the punk rock scene and those of you reading this review. Do yourself a favor and give this one a spin!
Future Considerations is available on CD and Vinyl via Thousand Islands Records.