The Stanfields

Following one of the most rousing debuts by anybody anywhere, Vanguard of the Young and Reckless, Nova Scotia’s Stanfields keep their foot on the gas with the new album Death and Taxes. Producer Mike Fraser (Bryan Adams, AC/DC), with his smooth Vancouver layers, manages to let Scottish lilt and Ramonesian drive burn through. Along with rhythms to set any dance floor to frenzy are lyrics of compelling depth. “Run on the Banks” suggests economic insurgency while detailing a father’s vengeance for a murdered son. Matters of money (“Invisible Hands”) and Maritime lore (“The Boston States”) infuse Death and Taxes with a unique mix of hard rocking and story-telling.