PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Racoon
      Bandits
      Steal
      Hearts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Brittany
      BANKS
     
     
      Reporter
      out
      the
      album,
      with
     
     
      an
      echo
      here,
      a
      creak
     
     
      of
      the
      floor
      boards
     
     
      there,
      as
      well
      as
      faint
     
     
      laughter
      from
      band
     
     
      members.
     
     
      The
      opening
     
     
      track
      to
      Campcraft,
     
     
      titled
      “Train
      Song”,
     
     
      is
      an
      outstanding
     
     
      beginning
      to
      the
     
     
      album.
      Its
      laid
      back,
     
     
      easy
      going
      vibe,
     
     
      combined
      with
      its
     
     
      carefree,
      reflective
     
     
      lyrics,
      creates
      a
     
     
      beautiful
      depiction
     
     
      of
      a
      passenger’s
      trek
     
     
      through
      the
      country-
     
     
      side.
      This
      carefree
     
     
      tone,
      however,
      is
     
     
      immediately
      tossed
     
     
      away
      at
      the
      beginning
      of
      the
      second
     
     
      track,
      with
      the
      high
      energy,
      in
      your
     
     
      face,
      “Bloody
      Bone.”
      Other
      tracks
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Racoon
      Bandit
      has
      begun
     
     
      to
      gain
      a
      dedicated
      following
     
     
      in
      their
      hometown
      of
      Char-
     
     
      lottetown,
      and
      after
      listening
     
     
      to
      their
      debut
      EP,
      “Camp-
     
     
      craft,”
      it
      is
      not
      hard
      to
      under-
     
     
      stand
      why.
     
    

    
     
      Racoon
      Bandit
      consists
      of
     
     
      Fraser
      McCallum
      (vocals,
     
     
      rhythm
      guitar),
      Adam
      Gal-
     
     
      lant
      (vocals,
      lead
      guitar),
     
     
      Roger
      Carter
      (drums,
      vocals,
     
     
      keys),
      and
      Scott
      Gallant
     
     
      (bass).
      Bass
      guitarist
      Richard
     
     
      MacLeod,
      as
      well
      as
      ECMA
     
     
      nominated
      singer-songwriter,
     
     
      Meaghan
      Blanchard,
      are
     
     
      guest
      musicians
      on
      the
      al-
     
     
      bum.
     
    

    
     
      Produced
      by
      Racoon
     
     
      Bandit
      this
      past
      spring,
      the
      7
      track
     
     
      EP
      was
      recorded
      by
      band
      member
     
     
      and
      sound
      engineer,
      Adam
      Gallant,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      a
      barn
      located
      in
      Hazel
      Grove,
     
     
      PEI.
      Along
      with
      MacLeod
      and
     
     
      Blanchard,
      the
      “Big
      Red
      Barn”
      also
     
     
      makes
      guest
      appearances
      through-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Egypt
      continued...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      into
      the
      mobs
      of
      Cairo
      in
     
     
      smalls
      groups
      and
      one
      girl
     
     
      even
      said
      that
      she
      felt
      safer
     
     
      in
      Egypt
      than
      she
      did
      where
     
     
      she
      lived
      in
      England.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      likely
      because
      there
      are
      a
     
     
      large
      number
      of
      people
      out-
     
     
      side
      day
      and
      night.
      Also
      we
     
     
      were
      given
      special
      attention
     
     
      by
      the
      Tourism
      and
      Anti-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      September
      21,2009
      17
     
    
   
   
    
     
      on
      Campcraft
      include
      Same
      Old
     
     
      Boat,
      Ghosts,
      Dirty
      Road
      (sung
      by
     
     
      Adam),
      and
      the
      appropriately
      titled
     
     
      and
      epic
      closing
      track,
      Long
      Ride
     
     
      Home.
      The
      highlight
      of
      the
      album
     
     
      and
      the
      ever-pleasing
      fan
      favorite,
     
     
      “Hat”
      is
      an
      infectious
      folk-pop
      tune
     
     
      that
      is
      sure
      to
      have
      you
      tapping
      your
     
     
      toes
      and
      singing
      along.
     
    

    
     
      The
      EP
      is
      jam
      packed
      with
      classic
     
     
      alt.
      country-type
      instrumentation,
     
     
      and
      McCallum’s
      voice
      possesses
     
     
      an
      honest
      and
      charming
      quality
      that
     
     
      will
      melt
      the
      hearts
      of
      listeners-
     
     
      girls
      and
      boys
      alike.
     
    

    
     
      Racoon
      Bandit’s
      Campcraft
      is
     
     
      an
      exceptional
      first
      release
      and
      a
     
     
      wonderfully
      cohesive
      collection
      of
     
     
      songs
      from
      a
      band
      that
      should
      be
     
     
      watched
      closely
      as
      they
      climb
      the
     
     
      ranks
      of
      the
      East
      Coast
      music
      scene.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      quates
      Police.
      This
      force
     
    

    
     
      is
      designed
      to
      watch
      over
     
    

    
     
      tourists
      and
      monuments,
     
    

    
     
      as
      any
      attacks
      on
      visitors
     
    

    
     
      would
      cripple
      the
      tourism
     
     
      industry,
      which
      is
      important
     
    

    
     
      for
      Egypt's
      economy.
      At
      first
     
     
      ~
      some
      of
      us
      were
      worried
     
     
      about
      safety
      and
      were
      reluc-
     
     
      tant
      to
      venture
      out
      into
      the
     
     
      downtown
      but
      later
      on
      we
     
     
      all
      felt
      comfortable
      walking
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      all
      learned
      a
      lot
      from
     
     
      our
      Egyptian
      adventure:
     
     
      a
      new
      perspective
      on
      the
     
     
      Middle
      East,
      a
      few
      Arabic
     
     
      phrases,
      a
      stronger
      urge
      to
     
     
      travel
      and
      a
      greater
      under-
     
     
      standing
      of
      Islam.
      One
      thing
     
     
      is
      for
      sure;
      it
      was
      a
      phenom-
     
     
      enal
      experience
      that
      we'll
     
     
      remember
      for
      the
      rest
      of
      our
     
     
      lives.