A long time ago (1992), in a country far, far away (Canada), there lived a cute little indie pop duo called The Inbreds. Consisting of bassist Mike O'Neill and drummer Dave Ullrich, the band was often associated with the Halifax pop scene of the day, even though they lived closer to Toronto. After two modestly successful indie albums, the group signed onto a subsidiary of Atlantic Records to release their third LP, the beefed-up It's Sydney or The Bush in 1997.
Produced by Lincoln Fong, who had worked as an engineer for Harold Budd, Cocteau Twins and M/A/R/R/S, the disc demonstrated that lead vocalist O'Neill's knack for a pop melody was easily transferable to a larger band setting. Instead of The Inbreds' usual bass, drums and vocals, new elements were added to the mix, such as acoustic guitars and horns, creating a more traditional 'band' style album.
In the mid-nineties, Canada was experiencing a tremendous wave of modestly successful bands, such as Sloan, Rusty, Eric's Trip, and Thrush Hermit; but it was the purring kitten-esque pop hooks O'Neill and Ullrich played that stuck with me the most. It's Sydney or The Bush was light and fluffy, but never went too far over the line as to make one ill -- tracks such as the first single, "North Window" or album standout, "Reason Why I'm Shy."
The group went on to break up in 1998, after the release of their final album, Winning Hearts, achieved two straight months in the no.1 position on the Canadian campus charts. O'Neill went on to record solo material, and Ullrich continued running indie label Zunior, his personal imprint. But Sydney never left my CD collection -- it still sits proudly between Hum's You'd Prefer an Astronaut and Janet Jackson's I Get Lonely single in my own collection.
1. North Window
2. Wanna Be Your Friend
3. Drag Us Down
4. When You're Angry
5. Final Word
6. Cut My Throat
7. My Favourite Satellite
8. Sad Sack
9. Do You Really
10. Wind Picks Up
11. Reason Why I'm Shy