Album Review Kiwi Jr - Football Money

Tackling issues of modern consumerism and the problems with adhering to a rigid capitalist structure is certainly not untrodden ground, and now Canada’s Kiwi Jr have now decided to throw their hat into the fray. And thank god they have. Intelligent and playful, their debut album not only addresses these issues, but also acknowledges their own role, and often complicity, within the structures outlining our society.

The band set out their stall early with single ‘Salary Man’, in which vocalist Jeremy Gaudet plays the role of the protagonist and recalls his mistreatment of others simply trying to help out, lamenting his desire for “cigarettes from Japan that taste like oranges”. ‘Nothing Changes’ meanwhile takes a more beleaguered tone, Jeremy bemoaning the lack of development while dressed in the band’s sprightly post-punk. Humour also pervades throughout, whether in its ridicule on the title track or in Jeremy’s appetite for everything from Star Wars to cheesecake on ‘Gimme More’. Self-aware and packed with hooks, ‘Football Money’ is not purely a commentary. While stuffing itself with enough insight to force its listeners to acknowledge contemporary issues, also present is enough charm and wit to remind us of the importance to having a little fun along the way.