REVIEW: CAR287 – ‘Looking Through The Lens’

For a band that cut its teeth in Winnipeg basements, honing covers of their heroes before crafting their own voice, CAR287’s debut full-length ‘Looking Through The Lens’ feels less like an arrival and more like a chronicle of the journey that brought them here. Stretching across thirteen tracks, the record carries the dust and echoes of years spent on stage, refining songs in real time until they became part of the band’s DNA.

There’s a distinctly prairie grit running through this album; such as the sound of highways that stretch too far, nights that don’t end until the sun insists on rising, and the melancholy that comes with knowing your city is both anchor and escape route. Tracks like ‘Feel It Coming On’ and ‘Highway Strong’ thrum with restless motion, each riff powered by both frustration and hope. Elsewhere, more intimate moments surface, echoing the personal yet universal reflections that have long been a hallmark of Canadian rock storytelling.

The chemistry between Jay Yarmey’s earnest vocal delivery, Travis Wog’s guitar textures, Terry Ferguson’s low-end pulse, and Ryan Olenick’s recent rhythmic spark is undeniable. Together, they strike a balance between homage and individuality, nodding to The Tragically Hip’s narrative weight and The Killers’ widescreen ambition, while firmly grounding their sound in the realities of Winnipeg life.

‘Looking Through The Lens’ is a debut that doesn’t posture or overreach, but instead captures where CAR287 stand now; hungry, seasoned, and unafraid to show the scars. It’s a record that rewards long drives and late nights, offering windows into both personal and collective memory.

For a band a decade into their story, this album feels like the true beginning, a photograph finally developed after years in the darkroom.

CAR287’s debut album ‘Looking Through The Lens’ will be available to stream from the 20th September.