Sometimes a broken mp3 player is a sign from God that I should take better care of my music players but once in a while, I think it’s a blessing in disguise.

Back in August, when the Singing Lamb had just gone down for construction (by the way – you like?), my beat-up mp3 player also decided to go down, into the permanent flames of technological hell. This led to a months-worth of carrying around my fashionably pink (and perfectly functioning) Walkman CD player; remember those? Coincidentally, this was also around the time I had picked up The Balconies’ debut self-titled album at Everything All The Time’s EP release party at the Horseshoe. And from the moment I put that CD into my CD player, it stayed in there for the rest of my CD carrying days.

The Balconies are a pop-rock trio originally from Ottawa (they now reside in Toronto), comprised of brother-sister duo Jacquie and Stephen Neville, rounded up by drummer Liam Jaeger. Though fairly young as a band, they sure sound like they’ve perfected their formula. Combining sweet boy-girl harmonies, sharp, strong riffs and backed by an equally strong bass, The Balconies create simplistic pop perfection.

Tracks like “Smells Like Secrets” and “Elephant Lamp” highlight their playful, catchy melodies while a slower track such as the aptly named “The Slo” prove that the trio aren’t just a one-note band, which tends to be a fatal flaw in many pop-rock acts today. The Balconies show range but are also simultaneously able to rope everything together into one cohesive album, which already has a spot on my top 10 of ’09.

As much as Stephen Neville’s tame, almost Dave Monks-like voice animates pop elements of songs, the winning voice belongs to sister, Jacquie. Her voice is one of those voices that people would typically categorize under the “she can sing me the phone book and I’d love it” file; it’s a rare gem and one listen to “The Slo” or “Ghost Fever” and you’ll understand why.

Live, The Balconies are beyond fantastic. If you haven’t seen them live or even if you didn’t like the record that much, the band’s live performance is almost guaranteed to win you over, as testified by a fellow concert-goer/blogger at last Friday’s performance at Lee’s. Jacquie Neville, though fairly fixed within a square foot of the stage, is a firecracker of energy reminiscent of Land of Talk’s Liz Powell. Collectively, watching and hearing these songs live paints a whole new layer of energy and excitement that’s hidden from the album.

I will bet money now that these guys will be ridiculously big soon; 2010 better watch out for The Balconies. I highly recommend you either buy their album, which is available at your local independent music stores, check them out live or even just give their MySpace a visit – it’ll be worth it.

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For more of the Balconies,

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thebalconies

The Balconies are back in Toronto on October 24th at the Drake, opening for White Rabbits! Tickets are still on sale for $15.50!