Contrived's "Keepsake" was i-tunes "Single of the Week" for the week beginning November 25th 2008. The single reached #19 on iTunes Best of 2008: Alternative Songs (Canadian), while "blank, blank, blank" made iTunes Best of 2008: Alternative Albums and the Best of 2008: Albums You Haven't Heard.

"What do you do when you're not invited to the big party? Throw your own and invite the coolest kid in school. At least that's what the folks in the Nova Scotia-based Dependent Music collective have done with their latest creation. Though heroes in their home province, the collective's flagship groups (Holy Fuck and Wintersleep) were largely ignored by the rest of the country until last year ... Contrived find a middle ground between Holy Fuck's instrumental chaos and the pop sensibility Wintersleep displayed on Welcome to the Night Sky. Muscular, overdriven hooks sit next to chiming verses while high pitched vocals float overhead - Blank, Blank, Blank becomes more satisfying with each listen." - exclaim magazine

"Complete musical freedom is a rare thing, and Contrived certainly takes full advantage of their unique position to deliver a record that stacks up nicely against the songs you already know and love." - Herohill.com

"Contrived are a musical force to be reckoned with. With their third album, 'Blank, Blank, Blank', they deliver a full-force knockout that is as sprawling and majestic as it is melodic and addictive."
- IndiePassion.com

Reviews::
Contrived - Blank, Blank, Blank - exclaim! (link)
Contrived - Blank, Blank, Blank - herohill (link)
Contrived - Blank, Blank, Blank - the coast (link)
Contrived - Blank, Blank, Blank - montreal mirror (link)
Contrived - Blank, Blank, Blank - bande à parte (link)
Contrived - Blank, Blank, Blank - spill magazine (link)
Contrived - Blank, Blank, Blank - Futuréale (link)
Contrived - Blank, Blank, Blank - IndieMusicFilter (link)
Contrived - Call & Response - blogTO (link)
On the Record w/ Contrived - venuszine (link)


Best of 2008::
iTunes Best Alternative Album 2008 : Contrived
iTunes Best Albums You Haven't Heard : Contrived "Blank Blank Blank"
iTunes Best Canadian Alternative Song : #19 Contrived's "Keepsake"
Herohill's Best-of 2008 Top 20 Canadian LPs : #8 Contrived's "Blank Blank Blank"