When the… Read Full Bio ↴What goes around comes around. Especially for Crash Karma.
When they roared to life with their super-powered debut album in 2010, the members of this Can-Rock dream team — singer Edwin (formerly of I Mother Earth), guitarist Mike Turner (ex-Our Lady Peace), drummer Jeff Burrows (The Tea Party) and bassist Amir Epstein (Zygote) — were musical peers with separate but equal pasts. Almost three years later to the day, with their fittingly titled sophomore album Rock Musique Deluxe, they have grown into a band of brothers with a shared musical vision they’re willing to fight for. Even among themselves.
“When we first got together, I didn’t know the guys,” says bassist and main songwriter Epstein, who set up the musical blind date that launched the band in 2008. “I wasn’t friends with them and they weren’t friends with each other — which I actually thought was kind of strange, being that they were in three of the most successful bands ever in Canada. They had crossed paths when they toured, but they weren’t super-tight. So we weren’t very comfortable in the studio. Everybody was on their best behaviour. If someone made a suggestion someone else didn’t like, there wasn’t much criticism. Nobody wanted to offend. “Since then, we’ve played together, we’ve recorded together, we’ve toured together. And we’ve become close, a bunch of buddies. We know everything about each other now — all the dark secrets. So it was a lot different in the studio. We were comfortable with one another, we were honest with one another, we were open with one another. And it was way more opinionated — ‘That sucks! Do it again!’ Instead of everybody doing what they want, we did what was best. And we all ended up making a stronger album because of it.”
That cocktail of camaraderie, confidence and creative conflict is the spark that ignites the high-octane Rock Musique Deluxe. Co-produced by the band and studio veteran Terry Brown (Rush, Max Webster, Voivod) in their Toronto hometown, the lean, muscular album takes up where previous hits like ‘Awake’ and ‘Fight’ left off and heads into new sonic terrain.
“You can tell that there’s a maturity in the band,” Edwin agrees. “It’s a step ahead, not a step back. It’s not remaking the same record. It’s a natural evolution. You could put it up against the first record, but it doesn’t sound like the first record. It sounds like a newer, fresher Crash Karma.” Also a more aggressive and progressive one. The just over 40-minutes Rock Musique Deluxe runs darker, deeper and heavier than its predecessor, thanks to Turner’s wall of serrated buzzsaw riffage and swirling flourishes, Epstein’s nimble, melodic basslines and drummer Burrows’ marriage of octopus dexterity and relentless propulsion. “We unleashed Burrows,” Epstein confirms. “If you listen to the drums, they’re ridiculous, animalistic. We kept encouraging him to give us more.” Once the drums were tracked, the musicians were compelled to follow suit, incorporating different time signatures, exotic percussion, unpredictable arrangements and atmospheric textures — the dividends paid by their newfound openness and drive.
“I always have to step back and take an audio picture of what we accomplish as a band,” Burrows says. “The sonic boom of four individuals from varied musical backgrounds creating something so powerful and to the point is amazing.”
Beneath the album’s brains and brawn, however, beats a sincere, passionate heart. In contrast to the more external perspective of their debut, this time it’s personal for lyricists Epstein and Edwin. The bulk of these 11 songs introduce protagonists standing at life’s crossroads and running emotional gauntlets. Meet the beleaguered star of the funk-flecked modern rocker “Man on Trial”. The self-recriminating anti-hero of the soaring slow-burner “Everything”. The empowering lead of the infectious first single “Tomorrow”. The protective champion of the ominous abuse-themed ‘Leave Her Alone’. All of them (and more) are personified via Edwin’s painstakingly crafted vocals, which move seamlessly from tough to tender in a single couplet.
“The way I see it,” explains Edwin, “the first record had a lot of angst and a little bit of love. This record has a lot of love and a little bit of angst. And from my perspective, the songs are more singable. We put a lot of backing harmonies on this one. On the first record, we tried not to use too many harmonies so it didn’t sound sweet and pretty. But this time, the songs really lent themselves to a diversity of harmonies. But ultimately, it’s not like we’re playing be-bop or anything. It’s still a rock album.” And at a time when real rock is in short supply, Crash Karma are proud to wear the genre on their sleeve. And their album cover.
“We’ve played shows with some bands — and I’m not going to name them — that weren’t rock bands, but were just pretending to be rock bands,” explains Epstein. “It was really irritating to see that. So our album title is just a way of just saying, ‘This is rock music. Take a listen to it, in case you forgot what it’s supposed to sound like.’ ”
Adds Edwin: “I know there’s still a lot of rock fans out there. I don’t think rock is dead. I think it will always make a revival in some form. And if we can have a part in that revival, in making it front and centre a little bit, I would be greatly honoured.”
Don’t be surprised if he gets his wish. After all, what goes around …
Fight
Crash Karma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You my friend are a liar Taking what was left of our trust.
You will sit.. and you'll listen to every fucking word I say.
All the shit I have taken This is why we have to
The lyrics of Crash Karma's song "Fight" convey a sense of betrayal and anger towards someone who has broken the trust of the singer and possibly caused harm. The lyrics suggest that this person had no regard for what was best for "us," implying that they may have been selfish in their actions. The singer accuses this person of being a liar, implying that they may have been deceitful in their interactions. Despite this, the singer demands that this person listen to "every fucking word" they say, indicating that they are not willing to back down or be silenced. The chorus line "all the shit I have taken/this is why we have to fight" suggests that the singer has endured past mistreatment and is now ready to take a stand and fight back.
Overall, the lyrics of "Fight" evoke feelings of frustration, anger, and determination, and paint a picture of someone who has been hurt and is now ready to stand up for themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
You cant say That you ever wanted what was best for us.
You cannot honestly claim that you desired the best for our relationship.
You my friend are a liar Taking what was left of our trust.
You, who I once called my friend, are deceitful and have shattered any remaining trust between us.
You will sit.. and you'll listen to every fucking word I say.
You will remain seated and give me your full attention as I express my thoughts and feelings without interruption.
All the shit I have taken This is why we have to fight.
I have endured numerous hardships and mistreatment, which is why we must engage in conflict to resolve our issues.
Contributed by Gianna L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Earthscape Overland
Why was this not promoted more than this. 87 likes, in my opinion, is not acceptable for artists that are this talented. Great song/band. Wish it lasted longer.
An na
I came here from being an olp fan. Pretty cool
mmjahink
If you haven't checked it out by now, listen to their first album, it's pretty killer. The second album, mostly meh tbh.
patrick grondines
love the song but this video is messed up
Damn the Divas
not the same magic as i mother earth..
LegendPkofdeath
@Twisted: Music vids usually got next to no meaning with the song