The Brink The Jezabels The Brink is the second album from Australian band The Jezabels. While the band has named their style “intensindie,” they can be described by the more common terms of alternative rock, disco pop, or just indie. Fronted by powerful vocalist Hayley Mary, the band offers ten tracks with pulsing rhythms and a definite 80s vibe. A dense wall of sound created by guitar, synthesizer, and repeti- tive drums often falls short of making it past a slow build. Most songs feel like they’re missing something, however hard it is to figure out what that something is. That’s not to say that after a few listens the tunes and their cryptic lyrics won’t get stuck in your head. Overall this is not an exciting album, but one that is pleasant enough. The title track, "Look of Love," and "The End" are highlights. Monsoon Season Biblical Monsoon Season is the debut LP from Toronto's Biblical. Biblical are more atmo- spheric than most of their stoner rock brethren. Though they have catchy hooks, their heavy, lazy riffs have more edge than, say, Monster Truck. I really like their softer sec- tions. Their singer, Nick Sewell, seems to do his best work when he's hanging out among the tremolo guitar and organ swells rather than surfing on the beefy power chords. The wet guitar tones on this album definitely conjure up images of monsoon rains and match perfectly with Thunder Bay's wet early spring this year, especially on "All Justice No Peace.” - Jacob Romu - Nancy Saunders Thundering: A Local Anthology Thunder Bay Writers’ Circle Poetry, short story, and memoir intertwine in the fifth anthology pub- lished by the Thunder Bay Writers’ Circle, a group of local writers who come together once a month to hone their craft and support one another. The Circle is a diverse group, with members of varying experience level, so it’s no surprise that the quality of the contributions collected in this anthology are a bit uneven. But there are some definite standouts, including compelling short stories by Joan Baril and John Peace, and a group of poems by promising 19-year-old poet Savannah Polenske. And although it may seem on the surface that these writers and their writing have nothing in common, there is a thematic throughline that ties this anthology to- gether: life in Thunder Bay, a love of the north, and an obvious passion for the written word. - Amy Jones Energy-Wise Landscape Design: A New Approach for Your Home and Garden Sue Reed Are you looking to make your home more energy efficient, but don’t want to get into major renovations? This helpful book provides informa- tion on changes you can make to your landscape to achieve your goals. The book is broken down into sections that range from designing your landscape, to tips on keeping your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, to ideas for generating energy in your landscape. In terms of energy efficiency, Reed highlights both operating energy (e.g. cost of mowing your lawn) and embedded energy, which she defines as “the energy used to manufacture and transport equipment and materials”. Energy-Wise Landscape Design is a truly fascinating read with valuable action items and design tips throughout. Pain in my Heart Otis Redding Spring is in the air… time for some romance. What better album to put on than the 1964 classic Pain in my Heart? Fifty years later, this album is available on reissue and the songs are as timeless as ever. “These Arms of Mine” will have you longing for simpler times with the kind of heartbreaking love that radiates from this track. Follow it up with “Pain in my Heart” and you have a perfect recipe for what love feels like, good and bad. As the snow melts, hearts flutter, and the chill in the air leaves us. A romantic evening with this classic on the turntable will warm your heart and Pain in my Heart will become your go-to spring romance album. - Dave Probizanski Available at: e fre An essential tool for dining out in Thunder Bay - Ruth Hamlin-Douglas www.thewalleye.ca/apps The Walleye 49