Two Hours Traffic grow up on new album, Territory

I awoke on Sunday knowing that I had an interview with Two Hours Traffic. What I didn't know was that when the TV got turned on, I would hear their song, "Backseat Sweetheart", soundtracking Chuck's Day Off as the host cooked beer-battered shrimp and garlic bread.
"We thought we should hit him up for some free grub as we passed through Montreal, but we didn't get to do that," said Alec O'Hanley, guitarist and vocalist for the band.
It shouldn't have been such a shock. Two Hours Traffic's profile has consistently grown since their self-titled debut, culminating in a Polaris Prize nomination for 2007's Little Jabs. Their new album, this year's Territory, is certain to continue this upward arc in notoriety.
If Little Jabs was the pop masterpiece that many critics hailed it as, with its hit single "Jezebel", then Territory is certainly the logical follow-up. Produced once again by Joel Plaskett, Territory has a much darker vibe than its predecessor, yet its songs remain in the same sing-along pop styles that get stuck in your head for days.
"It certainly wasn't a deliberate effort to go darker," said O'Hanley, "but it's kind of a reflection of our headspace when we were writing the record. I don't think we're the same [cheery] young individuals we were at 18, so we're just really becoming equated with romance and all of the rollercoaster-like notions associated with it."
This is evident in songs like the album opener "Noisemaker", where singer/guitarist Liam Corcoran - who is joined by bassist/vocalist Andrew MacDonald, drummer Derek Ellis and O'Hanley - sings, "The one I want to contain is acting half of her age". First single, "Territory", finds Corcoran calling out former flames by name, with verses suggesting a deep seeded bitterness towards their actions.
But there's more to the album than just lyrics of love's lost and scorned. With Territory, the band has looked beyond relationships for inspiration, evident in songs like "Drop Alcohol" and "Lost Boys".
"I think when you're in your young 20's, you start to think about the world beyond just relationships to some of the cruddy things you see," said O'Hanley.
With this newfound ability to capture the dark side of life, Two Hours Traffic still retain an incredible ear for melody. Even the most morose numbers on the album are pop gems that one can't help but sing along to. Even at their darkest, there are sounds of hopefulness in the music. Furthermore, there is a sense of clarity and space that may have been missing in their previous work.
"We tried to let the songs breathe a little bit, where we would have jammed every nook with a hook previously," said O'Hanley. "We decided to take a simpler approach with this record.
"You have to limit yourself somewhat, I think. For us, that limit is the classic pop structure. There is wiggle-room within it, and you can move around a little bit. You don't always want to go verse, chorus, verse, chorus, middle-eight, chorus; but it's something to start with, a jumping-off point, and we don't mind jumping off."
With this, Two Hours Traffic are able to create a new atmosphere, but retain their signature sound, a sound that fans have come to love. Their ability to write memorable tunes has not changed, despite their desire to expand and grow. O'Hanley admits that the band hopes this is the case, and that the hooks get stuck in listeners heads - which they will.
"I hope [listeners] take a melody or two in their heads. The ultimate goal for any pop musician is to write a melody and lyrics that stays with someone . If someone finds themselves whistling one of our tunes, I think our job is complete."
Two Hours Traffic plays L3 in St. Catharines on Nov. 27.