When speaking about the greats of this style of music, the best ones always make it or break it on the talent of their songwriting. Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, or Leonard Cohen do not have stellar voices, and their music is just a vehicle to make their songs stand out, so it is the lyrics which make this type of entertainer into a star.

Trevor has this songwriting talent. Add in a great voice and you can see how you might enjoy him more than a one-dimensional artist, no matter how great he or she has become.

The biggest fault of this CD is that it is too short. Just over 30 minutes long, it could have used about 10-15 more minutes in 3 or 4 more songs. You become comfortable with the style and get into the atmosphere (relaxing on the couch or in your room) and then the CD ends. But otherwise, there is little to criticize about this album. The songs are all strong with “Without Lies,” “Afraid of Change,” “Quebec,” and the short, straight to the point, “Lots of Time” being the highlights.

If you like artists who sing and play acoustic guitar, then Trevor’s CD will be an enjoyable one for you. At present the only way to get a copy is to appear at one of his shows. His next major event in the works is a September 23rd show with his new band called The Architects at Barrymore’s.

The band has two lead singers (who also provide the guitar-licks). Both Dan Junkins and Joe Brownrigg have great pipes for this style of music and they don’t hold back when vocalizing the sorrow or triumph on this 11 track CD. Jake Von Wurden (on bass) and Rob Apking (on drums) form the rhythm section. With their talented work, the band shows a well-rounded sound that makes you forget that all these guys are still in their early 20s (Brownrigg being the oldest at 25). Add in the fact that Brownrigg has only left The Fully Down (one of Ottawa’s greatest punk bands) recently (in late 2003) and you can see how professional and hard-working The Second Glance is.

Although the album has no filler tracks, it sometimes falls too much into melodrama. When listening to all forms of punk (rock, pop, hardcore, etc.) you expect and even demand that at least some of the songs deal in more than just emotional turmoil from relationships with the opposite sex or, for that matter, any other emotion that doesn’t involve anger and rage against some form of hypocrisy in society. Many will make an exception if humour is involved (as Blink 182 has shown). But there is no facetiousness on this album and you wait in futility for a song that even in the mildest way criticizes something. Where are the pissed off lyrics that tell the Liberal Party to go fuck itself, or the indignation towards assholes who commute from the suburbs and then complain about aggressive panhandlers or squeegee kids. There are some good songs on this album but none are of the outraged variety.

Their signature experimentation and unorthodox tempo changes still appear and are at the heart of the enjoyment of listening to this band, but the shifts are more thought out and creative. They spend a bit less time trying to sound as experimental as possible and have allowed some rhythm and flow to permeate the song structures.

The lyric writing (mostly by Jon and Steve Bragg (vocals, guitar, and keyboards)) is pleasantly obscure. The difficulty in figuring out what may of the songs mean are part of the band’s charm and adds to the experimental reputation the band is known for.

Subjects to the songs include the loss of friends to circumstances beyond our control (premature death, for example), about awkwardness and trying to fit in, and about the world’s seeming indifference to a man’s plight and struggles. With these songs, Steve and Jon continue along the line of thought that they began with their first CD (Procedures… was as dark and foreboding, lyrically, as this album is).

The most enjoyable element on this album, even with the great lyrics and Jon’s improvement in vocals, has to be the music. The band never lets you relax. At one moment you are being lulled into a state of peaceful contentment and the next they are blasting out your eardrums to reinforce the meaning of a lyric. After you listen to this CD a few times (it is the type of CD that grows in stature with repeated listens) you anticipate the changes and you kick your foot, punch the air, or vigorously bob your head when the blast arrives. It makes the CD that much more enjoyable.

As with Procedures... this CD is enhanced. If you put it into the CD ROM (you need the Quicktime media player) of your computer you will be able to see pictures and videos. The highlight of these is the live video of “I Awoke.” You can also see them recording parts of the album in studio and on another video having a bit of fun in an empty parking lot doing donuts in a pick up truck.