Petric - Flashbacks (2021)

Canadian Country trio PETRIC – Jason Petric, Tom Petric and Jordan Day – formed in 2014 and in 2015 they became the first act to sign to Dallas Smith’s Steelhead Music record label. With two EPs under their belt – 2015’s ‘It Girl’ and 2017’s ’18 Ends’ – the band is releasing their 9-track album ‘Flashbacks’ this week, building on the solid foundations they’ve been building the past few years.

Fans of the band will be familiar with a handful of the tracks on the release as they’ve been released as singles in the run-up to the full release of ‘Flashbacks’. Taking inspiration from the 90s and the 00s when Country music, in my opinion, was at its best PETRIC have crafted a 9-track collection that’s addictive from start to finish. Opening with ‘Kids’, the band’s current single, ‘Flashbacks’ starts strong with pulsating rhythms and a radio-friendly hook. The chorus explodes and you can imagine being in a packed arena (remember those days?) rocking out and singing along with thousands of other people.

The general vibe of ‘Flashbacks’ is uptempo and uplifting, which makes it perfect listening while we’re (still) in lockdown. ‘Déjà Vu’ has a moodier feel before it opens up into a storming Country/rock chorus, that like the opening track, feels designed to attract the ear of Country radio. That’s no bad thing as it means the song is memorable and catchy, everything a hit needs to be!

If you’re already hooked by the first two tracks, which you should be, then you’ll have a good expectation of what to expect from the rest of ‘Flashbacks’. Across the nine tracks, PETRIC show their versatility and their knack for a catchy tune. ‘White Lyin’ is the kind of ballad that propelled Rascal Flatts to a place in Country music history, while ‘Single Problem’ is a nice play on words that leans a little further into the modern Country sound than many of the other songs here.

The standout moment on ‘Flashbacks’ comes on ‘Autumn Leaves’, an acoustic-led mid-tempo song that really shows off Tom Petric’s lead vocal. I can imagine this one going down well during a stripped-down moment in a live show.

On the second half of the record the beat returns on the foot-stomping ‘Something To Do With You’, ‘Safe With Me’ is destined to become a first dance favourite at weddings, and ‘If I Was Your Man’ gives Dan + Shay a run for their money in terms of vocals and emotion. The album comes to a close with ‘All Who Wander’, a song that brings the sound of the record full circle and encourages you to hit ‘repeat all’ once it finishes.

‘Flashbacks’ is a throwback to the glory days of Country music in the best possible way. It’s modern enough to pick up traction in the current climate and PETRIC have designed an album that’s meant to be played on repeat and enjoyed live. Should the global pandemic finally come to an end, PETRIC will find a very warm welcome here in the UK and ‘Flashbacks’ should do enough to drum up plenty of interest in the band until then.