Unlike Hinds (see here), who are all quirk, Port Cities are not quite quirky enough; as those ghastly people on The Apprentice say, they have no USP.

That’s not to say this is a bad album: Port Cities can turn in a good tune; the type Fleetwood Mac or Tom Petty fans would hear on the radio and turn up loud. Track two, Don’t Say You Love Me is quite literally a classic; we can imagine this appearing on light rock compilations for ever more should it get enough airplay now, a tight modern take on Bryan Adams, with its simple beat but sparkling guitar. In The Dark would be a classic Mac tune, with a peach of a guitar solo, as could songs such as The Out.

The standout is possibly Half The Way, a tight and catchy pop tune where Port Cities sound only like themselves. While no songs are bad — it’s all impossible to dislike — the sound is too polished in places and some tracks are a little forgettable; rather than turning up the radio, you’d not even notice the song was playing. Still: a good pop album and the band has the potential to be massive.

http://www.portcities.ca/