Mended With Gold

The third album from The Rural Alberta Advantage is a powerful experience. Centered around the idea that shattered jars that have been put back together with gold are more beautiful now despite their breakage, the 12 songs on Mended With Gold reinforce this truth on a human level. Tracks like “Terrified” and “To Be Scared” delve into the human psyche and how we respond to the advent of trials and uncomfortable situations, while “On the Rocks” focuses more simply on a relationship going through a bad patch with more trouble on the horizon. But all three tracks are representative of the album's theme of struggle making you stronger in the end. The majority of the album is quick-tempo indie rock, with rapid-fire drums, acoustic guitars that play with a fire that is electric, and Nils Edenloff's earnest crooning, which is reminiscent of Switchfoot's Jon Foreman's more ebullient moments. Despite the songs' serious content, you can't help but want to rock out, largely because a lot of them have a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel that is quite attractive. The formula gets a little repetitive by the end, but Mended With Gold is still a rip-roaring good time.