Sixty Stories

Anthem Red (2003)

Megan

Sixty Stories is a trio out of Canada fronted by a powerful female voice. Jo Snyder's deep vocals are distinctive and draw you into their recent album, "Anthem Red." Bassist Sarah Sangster adds complementary harmonies that soften up the sound nicely. It's a catchy full length, twelve songs in forty minutes. Pop punk with hard crashing drums and a refreshing taste of keyboards and organ splashing throughout to lighten everything up a bit and bring the dance. And let's be honest, these days, it's all about who can bring the most dance.

Snyder's throaty voice just sounds so gritty and sincere that even if your attention starts to drift throughout the album, it's brought right back as soon as she opens her mouth. The lyrics are there for every girl to relate to, self-consciousness about weight, relationships, dreams. Sometimes the words get a little… out there? With lines such as "like spreading urine stains" you somewhat tilt your head and say "what?" but at the same time, you're intrigued by the lyrical styling. Snyder has a unique way of writing.

Basically, this album is a new take on poppy punk with more serious issues hidden underneath the full sound. Anthem Red is definitely an album worth checking out.