Led by singer/songwriter, creative mastermind, and producer, Chance Hutchinson, Montréal-based punk outfit PRIORS have been wildly prolific, dropping six releases, including three full-length albums since 2017. Each of those efforts have seen the Canadian punk outfit firmly cementing a melodic and dynamic punk sound. During that same period, PRIORS have developed a reputation for a wildly energetic live set that they’ve toured across Canada, the States and Europe, while sharing stages with The Mummies, Oblivians, Quintron, and Simply Saucer.
Adding to a growing profile across the indie and punk scene, the members of PRIORS have made the rounds of the international festival circuit with stops at Goner Fest and M for Montréal. (Their M for Mothland showcase set at last year’s M for Montréal was a personal highlight of a week-long trip of highlights.)
The Canadian outfit’s Max Deshernais co-produced Daffodil is slated for a June 2, 2023 release through Mothland. Serving as the band’s seventh release and fourth album overall, the album which features Sonic Avenues‘ Sebastien Godin (guitar), The Famines‘ Andrew Demers (drums) and Tabarnak’s Alan Hildebrandt (bass) is reportedly one of their most hopeful and uplifting efforts to date. Sonically, incisive rhythms serve as the basis for clever arrangements centered around fuzzy guitars, propulsive bass lines and analog synths are paired with Hutchinson’s punchily delivered vocals fed through a bit of reverb, and occasional sax blasts from CIVIC’s and The Steve Adamyk Band‘s Dave Forcier.
“I’d say Daffodil is a pop-heavy punk record with a lot of positive outlooks. I have spent the last six releases kicking the shit out of myself and it was time for a new vibe. A little sprinkle of positivity amongst the angst,” PRIORS’ Chance Hutchinson explains in press notes.
Last month, I wrote about album title track “Daffodil,” a song built around a chugging and buzzing electric guitar, strummed acoustic guitar and blasts of wobbling Farfista paired with an insistent backbeat and Hutchinson’s reverb-soaked, punchily delivered vocal. Although it’s more of a bounce and shout-along with the band sort of song, “Daffodil” manages to retain a feral yet joyous mosh pit friendly energy that’s infectious. “’Daffodil’ is one of those songs that happened very quickly,” Hutchinson recalls. “All the parts just kind of wrote themselves including the vocal ideas. In the studio we opened it up a little more with the Vox Jaguar and acoustic guitar and Max added that wild ‘beach sound’ ending with the birds which I really feel pulls it all together.”
Daffodil‘s second and latest single “Optimizer” is a post punk anthem built around a propulsive bass line, relentless four-on-the-floor, angular and shimmering guitar bursts paired with Hutchinson’s reverb-soaked, punchy delivering and the Montréal-based outfit’s unerring knack for catchy hooks and shout-along worthy choruses. Sounding like a prototypical post punk song, “Optimizer” boldly eschews the genre’s common tropes, while being ambiguous” Is it a heart-wrenching cry for help? A sardonic take on peer pressure and confusion? A criticism of a seemingly never-drying and wistful fad? That’s up to you to decide. And I bet it’ll change depending on your mood.
“’Optimizer’ is a direct stab at post-punk because I wasn’t really impressed with a lot of the stuff I was hearing,” Priors’ Hutchinson explains. “We always dipped our toes in post-punk, but I felt it was necessary to dive in on this one. I hadn’t written a song around a bass line since /’Brew HA HA’ from the last record (My Punishment On Earth) and once I had the groove, it was really easy to see where it should go.
