Toronto collective The Hidden Cameras came to our shores a decade ago, clad in nappies and balaclavas and peddling an upfront songbook of gay sex, religious criticism and indie-pop in-jokes. Joel Gibb’s sprawling, string-driven band were soon eclipsed internationally by their epic friends Arcade Fire, but they remain a distinctive voice. Sixth album ‘Age’ finds the group’s stirring chamber pop augmented by dense new wave and loving dub reggae that propel Gibb back to his youth, addressing S&M induction on ‘Skin & Leather’ and adolescent family pressure on the intense ‘Gay Goth Scene’. Mournful, moving and minor key, ‘Age’ suggests The Hidden Cameras’ defiant sexual politics are still vital.
Stuart Huggett