CD Review
Artist: Bill Priddle
Album: The Priddle Concern
Label: Sparks Music 
Released May 6th 2008 

Reviewed By: Isabel Lau (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada)

After leaving the Canadian rock group Treble Charger due to creative differences with a big label, guitarist and lead singer Bill Priddle decided to formulate The Priddle Concern. Combining the talents of Howie Beck, Andy Magoffin, Amy Millan and various members of Broken Social Scene, Priddle finds a way to produce new songs as well as finding a place for the old ones that never were recorded.  

The album is a mélange of dreary and monotonous tracks very suitable for driving alone in the rain after a bad day at work if you are one of those people that enjoy having a side of melancholy with your depression. Although there is a robust sound at times from the guitar and drums, it is often a misleading intro for songs like "Care About You" and "Make it Go Away" which trail off into the awkwardness of Priddle's vocals. Priddle describes his previous creative conflict in the slightly more upbeat track "I had a job" and was wise to include the saccharine voice of Amy Millan on "Back Around" as a nice, if only momentary, change-up.

Despite these two highlights on the album, there is very little differentiation between tracks and the lyrics are almost redundant; this seems odd seeing as how Priddle is capable of a wider range as made evident from "American Psycho" which he co-produced for Treble Charger. Priddle Concern is of course quite a divergent maneuver away from a punk/rock sound and is reminiscent of Treble Charger's earlier indie-rock roots, which is the exact intention. Priddle's voice has that vulnerable school-boy appeal to it that is rather comparable to Ben Gibbard's of Death Cab for Cutie. However, whereas Gibbard's tone is much more fluid and suits their smooth melodic instrumentals, Priddle's vocals border on the whiny side and often do not match the fervor of his guitar. Not bad for a grey day spent indoors if you are not looking for something too epic or captivating.
 

Union of Concerned Scientists - 1:17
Videotape - 2:50
Care About You - 3:52
I Had a Job - 2:59
Like to Smoke -  4:02
Back Around - 2:06
Believe What You Want to Believe - 3:31
Dive - 4:29
Beaten Down - 3:13
Facet Dripping - 4:11
Make it Go Away - 3:09
Everything's Fine - 2:10
Hold Me on Tight - 3:38