The Unicorns emerged out of Montreal earlier this decade like a beacon of bizarreness that was the antidote to the Broken Social Scene/Hidden Cameras-style mega-band Canadian indie-pop factory. A trio of art rockers, crafting off-tempo songs with avant garde vocals about askew subject matter, they weren’t necessarily original (Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 and some of the Elephant 6 collective come to mind), but given the Canadian scene at the time, for them to come out with a style that so countered the status-quo, yet still capable of capturing a catchy hook, was more than enough to garner some well-deserved attention. This is also not to mention their disastrous stage shows which were Andy Kaufman-esque performance art more than music concerts. They didn’t last long and their output comprised of a couple eps and this 2004 full-length “Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?”
Five years later, I can’t say their sound remains particularly fresh, but the off-beat nature and their whimsical presentation still leaves much enjoyment to be found. A step above Dr. Demento-style curio novelty acts, but not quite as notable as a forthright rock band like the Constantines, the Unicorns won’t solidify themselves a place in Can-rock history with such a small catalog (spin-off group Islands has a marginally better chance), but this one-off album still has its charms. Child Star remains a particular favourite.