You Will Land With A Thud is the debut album by Canadian indie rock

Indie rock

Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

 band Tom Fun Orchestra

Tom fun orchestra

The Tom Fun Orchestra is an indie rock ensemble from Cape Breton, Canada. The band features an unconventional mix of electric and acoustic instruments, including violin, banjo, accordion, trumpet, double bass, electric guitars and drums, and have elicited comparisons to acts ranging from The Clash,...

, released on January 29, 2008 on Company House Records. The album was released to positive reviews amongst Internet reviewers but gained little mainstream attention outside of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

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Background

You Will Land With A Thud was recorded in April 2007 at Carriage House Studios in Stamford, Connecticut

Stamford, Connecticut

Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...

. The band worked with Warren Bruleigh and Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...

frontman Gordon Gano on the record. The album was mixed by Phil Palazzola and mastered by Howie Weinberg. Additional recording was done in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia at Soundpark Studios

Lyrics and Songwriting

Singer Ian MacDougall’s would usually use stories in his lyrics to get across strong themes of adolescence, loss of innocence, and the questioning of evolving morals and aspirations. Banjo player Victor Tomiczek said in a promo video that MacDougall would “bring in a skeleton of a song, and the rest of the band would give it a heart, skin, and vital organs”

Reception

Reviews for You Will Land With A Thud were generally good amongst blog reviewers, with one review saying it “bridges generation gaps and defies musical clichés”. However, the album received little attention from high-profile music critics

Awards

On the strength of You Will Land With A Thud, The Tom Fun Orchestra was named Entertainer Of The Year and Galaxy Rising Star at the 2008 Music Nova Scotia Awards, and Galaxy Rising Star at the 2009 East Coast Music Awards. Videos for the songs Throw Me To The Rats and Bottom Of The River were nominated for ECMA Video Of The Year and UK Music Video Award’s Animated Video of the Year respectively, with Throw Me To The Rats coming out victorious