By: Sheena Lyonnais
March 05, 2009

Toronto’s Isle of Thieves’ debut release Only Human is a solid album complete with strong riffs and the perfect amount of synths. Standouts “Wallflower” and the title-track are catchy pop rock songs with a good balance of teenage angst and musical passion.

Lyrically the album comes off a little desperate at times, implying the band is so hungry for fame and pop stardom they’re willing to sacrifice their potential for songs geared towards misunderstood teenage girls.  Tracks like “Rockstar” are young and naïve in content, but I truly hope this is more a marketing gimmick to the all-ages crowd than anything else.

Amongst the typical lyrics, there are some little gems ripe with maturity and vigor.  Opening track “Hollywood (Cleft Lip)” asks, “Do you have something to die for?” Track “Clinger” is the lyrical standout boasting lines like “They speak in tongues, they speak in foreign poetry, but no one is listening.”  There are allusions to funerals and a “coca-cola human race” in tracks that suggest Isle of Thieves may possess the necessary dimensions to really do something with their music if they ditch the whiney rhymes and play from the heart.

For a debut, this album is the whole package: it’s tightly produced, comes in nice packaging that includes a lyric book with cool artwork by Toronto photographer Zaiden, possesses solid music and promotes a cohesive sound and look. If they want to push a single, “Wallflower” and “Hollywood” are equal contenders.

To check out some of the tracks off Only Human visit  www.myspace.com/isleofthieves.

TTT (out of 5)