The Mailman's Children have produced another wonderful CD in Stranger Things. The songs fit together and form a cohesive whole that is a pleasure to listen to.

The group consists of Eric laBossiere (lead vocals and acoustic guitar), Joel Couture (bass), Eric Manaigre (keyboards and vocals), Eddie Vesely (drums) and Joel Perreault (electric guitar and vocals).

The CD opens up with "La Guillotine," a largely instrumental piece that is full of grim foreboding. "Stranger Things" is a moving response when love is gone. The sound of a fishing reel starts off "Confessions of a Dishonest Fisherman," while the tone of the song transforms and adds to the lyrics. The drums take the lead for "Floorboards" and the music that follows is wonderfully sweet.

"Go" is a quiet song of pain, with the music building to support the chorus. The pain lingers in "Mustard Fields," which is also a dark love song. The start of "The Bathroom Floor" does not quite fit in with the CD -- the music is too fast for the lyrics. But as the song progresses the lyrics catch up, and then the song clicks. "Thoughts to End" captures some of the darkness of depression.

"Bruises Cascade" slides up to you and paints a stark picture of a kid growing up. They return to a harsher look at relationships with "When it Grows Cold (Live)." The CD then ends with "La Guillotine (extended)," and in this case longer is better.

Stranger Things shows the beauty of darkness. From the first note to the last the edge is there, the music and the lyrics combining to paint stark and wondrous pictures.

- Rambles
written by Paul de Bruijn
published 7 June 2003