Canadian trio Absolute Losers follow their instincts and delve into sixties-influenced melodic pop for second album, In The Crowd.  And, for The Losers, it’s a winner!

Release Date:  26^th September 2025

Label: Having Fun Records

Formats: CD / Vinyl / Digital

A NEW FORMULA

From Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Absolute Losers are: brother Josh (guitar & vocals) and Sam (bass & vocals) Langille and their longtime friend, Daniel Hartinger (drums & vocals).  The trio have amassed quite a following on the East Coast gig circuit, thanks to their high-energy live performances and to the waves created by their 2023 debut album, At The Mall.  And now, they’re back but, rather than resting on their laurels and sticking with the jagged post-punk that they’ve become known for, Absolute Losers have come up with a new formula,.  And, for the Losers, it’s a Winner!

Bassist Sam takes up the story: “We just stopped worrying if what we were writing was ‘cool’ or not.  This time around, we let our instincts lead, and what came out was something freer, more melodic, more personal.  And way more fun.”  Indeed, with the warm vocal harmonies, the tight, crisp, punchy arrangements and with a new innocence that pervades their songwriting, Absolute Losers now seem to picking up where Californian bands like The Byrds – and even The Mamas And The Papas – left off.

CALIFORNIAN VIBES – AND NO FRILLS

The Californian feel is there right from the outset, as opening track, At The Same Time, evokes the spirit and sound of San Francisco, circa 1966, when experimentation was rife but before psychedelia tightened its grip.  This is tight, this is punchy and there are absolutely NO frills.  The lyrics are loaded with something that’s a tad more mature than just teenage angst, and Daniel’s drums come across like machine gun fire.

The influence of The Byrds is palpable in the jangly 12-string guitar and the warm vocal harmonies of the calm, melodic, Your Colours and the band’s decision to ‘go retro’ is instantly confirmed as a piece of smart thinking.

A SOLID LINK

Speaking of the album’s title track, in the Crowd, Sam explains: “To me, ‘the crowd’ is everyone around you.  Friends, family, partners, exes, your inner child – they all make up the crowd.  And, being in a crowd is funny.  You can feel connected and totally isolated at the same time.  That paradox runs through the whole album.”

The song itself sees Absolute Losers returning to what their growing fanbase will recognize as more familiar post-punk territory.  Sam’s surging basslines underpin a song that provides a solid link between the whimsical Liverpudlian reminiscences of The Beatles and the bleak Mancunian winterscapes of bands like Joy Division.  Daniel’s drums are solid and well-ordered, whilst Josh’s guitar chimes place the song in a timeframe centred around 1981.

I’LL CUT BACK ON THE BEER…!

But it’s back to The Byrds for the happy, humourous and uplifting Don’t Go.  The guitars jangle once again and there’s even a Gene Clark feel to the vocals, whilst the humour is supplied by lines like: “Stay here, I’ll always be sincere.  I’ll cut back on the beer!  Don’t go…”  Meanwhile, it’s Daniel’s strident, resonant, drumbeat that calls the shots for Eagerness, whilst Josh’s punky guitar sets the joyful scene.

The Beatles have had an influential look-in, so it’s no surprise when Absolute Losers pay a call on the Rolling Stones to provide the ideas for the rocky Kiss of Death.  Keith would certainly identify with the tight, dirty guitar riff, whilst a young Mick would recognize the defiant, confrontational tones in the lead vocal.  But it’s the rhythm section that takes a step forward for Bad Feeling, as Sam’s bass and Daniel’s drums mesh tightly together.  The song rattles along and Josh’s guitar is used sparingly, which makes his crashing riffs and noodly chimes all the more effective when they DO occur.

THEY NEVER SACRIFICE THEIR EDGE

The offbeat, bluesy, For So Long seems to hint at comedy, without ever crossing the boundary line, but the band sound like they’re having great fun – in a lazy, ‘who-gives-a-f**k’ kind of way as they perform it. 

In the album’s press release, the aching, sun-bleached You Never Say That You Love Me is described as: “[a] showcase for the three-piece’s knack of crafting instantly memorable songs, without sacrificing their edge,” and that’s an accurate summary.  It’s one of several tunes, spread across the album, that you’d swear had their origins in SoCal, rather than in the relatively cooler climes of Nova Scotia.  It’s joyful, it’s uplifting; indeed, it’s what pop music was, in fact, always intended to be.

WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?

On several occasions, whilst listening to In The Crowd, I was struck by that familiar feeling that I’d heard this music before.  That’s not to suggest that Absolute Losers are copyists – they’re not.  They just have an enviable knack of being able to hook their listeners in.  And the tasteful Words Of Love-like guitar lick that propels penultimate track, better Things to Do, along its way has that very effect.  It’s another great song – bright and sunny, and so VERY solid.

And, it’s with a dreamy, vibrant, harmony-drenched chant – It’s An Understanding – that Absolute Losers conclude In the Crowd.  There’s an underlying Beach Boys aura to the song as it gently fades.  What’s not to like?

Watch Absolute Losers perform In The Crowd, the album’s title track, live in Ottawa in September 2023 below:

Absolute Losers online: Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Bandcamp / Spotify

Keep up with At The Barrier: Facebook / X (formerly Twitter) / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube