And then it's like nothing ever happened. The Grapes of Wrath split up very acrimoniously following the release of 1991's These Days album, casting serious doubt on the possibility of a follow-up release. It took nearly ten years, and the fact that both of them had recently become fathers, for Tom Hooper and Kevin Kane to dispense with the lawyers, remember their long friendship, and get back to the business of making music. When the first song hits the speakers it seems like time has changed them ("Black Eye" is far more hard rocking than anything that had come before), but everything that follows sounds like vintage Grapes. In fact, after only a couple of listens the songs seem like ones that you've known for years and years, even though it's really only Hooper and Kane left from the original lineup (both Chris Hooper and Vince Jones declined the opportunity to rejoin the band). For those that thought the Grapes were one of the best things to come out of Canada's music scene, it's a welcome return. As a bonus on the first run, a six-song EP is included, featuring reworkings of four older tracks and two cover tunes. ~ Sean Carruthers
