Gandharvas - Kicking In The Water (1995)

By the time the Gandharvas released Kicking in the Water, their second full-length recording for Watch records in 1995, the group had built up quite a bit of momentum in their homeland of Canada. The band's debut, A Soap Bubble and Inertia, featured the monster single "The First Day of Spring," which had catapulted the group onto the national scene, setting up high expectations for this follow-up disc. Paul Jago (vocals), Jud Ruhl (guitars), Brian Ward (guitars), Beau Cook (bass, keyboards), and Tim McDonald (drums) chose not to build upon the more pop and alternative sensitivities of their debut and instead headed toward a darker and more experimental sound. "Hollow You Out" and "The Masochistic Minstrel" illustrate the best possible combination of dramatic vocals, heavy guitars, and quirky arrangements on Kicking in the Water, while less-inspired, slower numbers like "Held to the Ground" expose a weaker, almost boring dimension of the group. Primed to explode in their home country and possibly expand their appeal south of the border, the Gandharvas missed a rare and valuable opportunity on Kicking in the Water.