Hailing from Montreal, The Nils were an absolute gem of a band that existed throughout the early-to-mid 80's. Led by the brothers Soria, the band is perhaps most known for guitarist/singer Alex Soria's musical exuberance, having started the band while only 12 years old. Unlike their stellar 1985 vinyl debut 'Sell Out Young', their 1987 self-titled effort shows signs of maturity. Additionally, it also provided a glimpse into the development of the younger Soria's inner demons, which would plague him continuously until his suicide in 2004.
What we are left with are 10 fantastic instances of pop perfection. The album's opening track, 'River of Sadness', bears alot of comparison to mid-career Replacements, foreboding in a deeply personal way and yet generalizable enough to have personal impact on any random person listening to the song itself. These comparisons remain throughout the duration of the LP. Their re-do of 'In Betweens' (originally appearing on the 'Sell Out Young' EP) is a certifiable barn-burner (although I would add that the horns on the SOY version does add a little extra something to the track overall). If you aren't humming half of these songs in your head immediately after your first listen, you might need to get your hearing checked out. 'Daylight' reminds me of Bob Mould's better tracks off of Sugar's 'File Under Easy Listening'. While many are quick to pigeon-hole the band as merely "power pop", the obvious influences utilized by the Nils as well as the obvious influence the band has had on others since the album's release, are quite varied and apparent (particularly given the time period in which they released the bulk of their material). For that reason, it boggles the mind that such a group remains off the radar of many.
In making this post any longer, I am denying you the opportunity to be intently listening to this fantastic record. Check it out here.
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