Sunny Days Ahead is a bright ray of sunshine.
By Kyle West, Independent Clauses
reviews of Sunny Days Ahead . . . .
| "One can argue that the second album defines a band. While a debut is usually something worked on for years - a work of vision and passion - the follow up can be a quickly recorded and hurried affair. This Seattle band does what other great bands have done, getting better on the follow-up. Built upon the base of it's pop-filled debut, this record has even more catchy hooks and phenomenal guitar work. Know this band. Listen to this band. Consider where album number three will find them." - John Richards, Seattle Sound |
After dropping a demanding-to-be-heard debut, kicking up a racket at Bumbershoot 2007, and getting some major indie radio play, this is the second studio full-length from Shake Some Action! And the band requires that exclamation mark, I assure you. The title of the album, though, could end with a question mark. Though I honestly believe that band leader James Hall is "kicking at the darkness to get to the light" (thanks, Bruce Cockburn), there is a dichotomy here between how things should be in life, in a relationship, and the beautiful messes and ugly truths they actually are. My wife and I were riding on a bus to a cafe on a day off, and we'd just had an argument about something stupid (a life detail, not the Frank and Nancy collaboration), and I gave in to duty and put on my headphones to soak in some power-pop joy. When we got to where we were going I bought her a rather expensive little espresso bar dessert ($6.50) because I tried to make amends with something I knew she loved. I knew it would give some sweetness to the situation, but had no idea how moist, rich, and sumptuous that piece of cheesecake would be. I wanted to order three more instantly. That's what listening to this record a couple times through is like -- my mood had brightened on the first play, with all the wonderful playing from James Hall (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Campbell (drums, vocals), David Bos (guitar, vocals), and Gary Miller (bass, vocals, and guitar). But by the fourth I was into it deep and sweet. The thirteen tracks on this lucky number poke through, each one a rousing glow or a bit of heat stroke, all very natural and part of the daily environment of sudden joy and imminent vexation. This is a sugary jouissance, pure power-pop enjoyment, but with a strangely adult bite. The album title Sunny Days Ahead is an offhand remark Cheryl Waters made after the band's radio station in-studio, but I can't believe the KEXP DJ was merely referring to the weather outside. The album is not about ignorant bliss, but the artful skills of a poet, player, and performer willing to warn ("you're a big fake / look out for stormy weather," the tense and grinding album opener exhorts) as well as warm you up. "I got my skin baked / the sun shining down on me / sew seeds of hate and one day you'll pay the penalty," the story continues, and you know this isn't any sort of happy face nostalgia trip. After "Get It Together" introduces the record with a firmly focused pile-driver of suitable tension, second track "Looking For Someone" has that best-of-post-punk-pop-and roll-droll-Brit-garage-rhythm-meets-sweeping-chorus so beloved by fans of more melodic XTC-Jam-Echo & the Bunnymen treasures. The guitars match the story of swarming life changes perfectly. Throughout, they combine their skills with Hall to layer delicious little riffs in everywhere, but it's not the kind of hard rock posing certain other "garage rock" Seattle bands do; these are organic echoes of Dave Davies and Mick Jones. Guys who could rock hard but never look like they're posing, just putting more pleasure into each song. "Hurry Up" is in the 'B' section of British (or Brit-inspired) beat bands, from the Beatles to Badfinger and onward, but just beneath is a mad cackle from Robyn Hitchcock, in the mad grasp for momentary happiness. "Walking Away" is about the senses working overtime, with lines like "The room is so dark here, then I see you walking away," which would have fit perfectly on Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend album. It's a bitter fear of relational entropy mixed with sonic butterscotch hooks, crunchy peanut butter riffs, and smooth white chocolate vocals. It piles on the abundant and imminent loss as crippling as a ice cream sundae brain freeze. Hall is one of those idiosyncratic pop rock voices; the paradox of a stylist who can create a private Wall of Sound, songs that sound huge for small stereos and will bless the faithful but tend to be too pure for the mainstream (he should at the very least have the success of Brendan Benson). But it's by using the authentic kick ass juice of a tight, can-do rock band that these sharp slices of stinging life don't lay on the plate as bedsit studio genre fiddling. Sunny Days Ahead seems so wholesome on the surface, until you run into the fear of abandonment and failure in a lyric like "you're so free / you don't need to talk to me." That sort of vibe might cut out the casual listener. Then again, when "Your Valentine" is played so perfectly, with its high chiming notes of guitar and melancholy in its smooth melody, you realize that Shake Some Action! are delivering what people have always wanted from artists like Tom Petty on the big scale and Shane Tutmarc on the smaller. "You Don't Care" is relentless in its examination of a self-destructive need for control, greedy desires met on every level, great tumbles of Bowie-style imagery about a hung-up, hungover existence. "All you need is what you love" meant here as a criticism, is the most wicked burn I've heard in a rock song since the glory days of the The's Matt Johnson. The crunching blues-pop on the finale "Who Do You Love?" features guest licks from Young Sportsman's Ryan Maxwell, and gives the set a Baker's Dozen feel of thematic luxury most albums can't afford to create. I do wish there were one stupid feel-good track here somewhere (maybe a cover of "Something Stupid" itself?), even done ironically, just to lighten the load. And the only thing I fear about this record is that taken altogether it might be too much of a good thing; maybe this should have been three separately released EPs or a series of colored seven inch vinyl records. But then they all would have had to be rounded up again someway, right? And why not do it clean the first time? - Chris Estey, Three Imaginary Girls |
| While Shake Some Action’s self-titled debut was essentially a James Hall solo record – written, performed and recorded by the talented frontman at his home studio – their terrific new album Sunny Days Ahead was a total group effort that sounds more direct and immediate than its predecessor and nicely captures the energy and excitement that Shake Some Action generate live. The thirteen concise, punchy songs on Sunny Days Ahead rush by fairly breathlessly from one great track to the next, each showcasing the considerable talents and pop-craft of this fine Seattle band. With an insistent guitar riff and driving beat opening track “Get It Together” is (ironically considering the album’s title) a prophetic admonition to “Look out for stormy weather/Come on and get it together,” and it sets the tone for what follows: an album of infectious, melodic power pop imbued with the snarl and indignation of punk, taking on fakes, haters, bullies and cheats. The album’s basic rhythm tracks were recorded in a single weekend, many in just one take and there’s an air of spontaneity and looseness here but the songs are all expertly constructed and practically overflowing with ideas. “Looking For Someone” for instance, has a catchy intro riff, verses driven by syncopated bass and rhythm guitar parts that recall the Beatles’ “Taxman,” crunchy power chords that lead into the chorus where organ and wordless background vocals create gorgeous, shimmering overtones and harmony vocals send a chill of pleasure down your spine - all this before they even reach the bridge. “You Don’t Care” is a scathing rebuke of rampant greed and consumerism propelled by another unstoppable guitar riff (this album is chock-full of them), slashing rhythm guitar and hard-boiling bass and drums. James Hall’s rich, sonorous voice lends an imposing resonance to barbed lines like “Super-size/White-lies/Bloodshot eyes/And nothing satisfies you.” Backing vocals punctuate each verse with the refrain: “You don’t care you need it,” and when the harmony vocals kick in at the chorus: “Too much is not enough,” the song absolutely soars. With its chiming guitar arpeggios and tambourine “Hurry Up” has that jangle-pop sound that hearkens back to the Byrds and early R.E.M. Other highlights include the exuberant pop punk of “Half Past Three,” “Unusual Girl” with great Farfisa organ and “la la la la” vocal hooks and “Who Do You Love?” the supercharged rocker that brings the album to a rousing finish. All the songs are great though and the CD is only 37 minutes long – you’ll want to set your CD/MP3 player on repeat and listen over and over. That’s what I’ve been doing for the last few weeks and I’ve decided that Sunny Days Ahead is a strong contender for SPB album of the year. - Andy Miracle, Seattle Powerpop Blog |
| One of our favorite "English sounding American" bands are back with their second studio effort! And a corker it is indeed! 13 tight, briskly delivered, and extremely catchy songs that grab your attention from start to finish! The jangle and crunch-o-meters are amped up a bit on this one (a good thing for sure) as they rock and pop their way into your head and heart! The critics seem to agree with us and are already gushing about it! "Get It Together", "You Don't Care", and "Draw The Line" sound like Jet songs! GREAT!!!!!! - Kool Kat Musik |
"This Seattle band brings a bit more sonic aggression to their jangly power-pop sound on their remarkable 2nd album. Like their sterling debut, it’s another first-rate set overflowing with melodic hooks and rich harmonies while also showcasing more energetic tempos and biting guitar lines." - Don Yates, KEXP |
Theyyyyy're back. James Hall & Co. have brought us Sunny Days Ahead, the long-awaited (OK not that long - the first one came out about 16-17 months ago) followup to Shake Some Action's eponymous debut which placed at #27 on last year's Top 100. All of the things that made the debut great are here again on Sunny Days Ahead: the retro late 70s-early 80s sound that nevertheless doesn't seem dated, the Rickenbackers, the great tunes, and of course Hall's vocals, which fit the material and the sound perfectly. |
| The bright yellow-orange sunrise (sunset?) over the hill could not be more fitting to describe the shimmering power pop delivered by Shake Some Action!. These boys are from Seattle, so I'm guessing in reality that they do not see a lot of sunny days. But they have a knack for compensating for the rainy city by creating bright and crisp pop rock in the studio. This release, which drops on June 17, is sure to lighten up even the darkest skies. Musically, many of the songs are jangly Rickenbacker pop, packed with harmonies akin to The Meadows or Rembrandts. If you are a fan of la-la's and oh-ah's, you'll love it! But some of the tracks dig deep with crunchy guitars and just flat out rock, like the scorching lead off track, "Get It Together". Vocally, lead singer James Hall sounds a lot like the dude from They Might Be Giants, Robyn Hitchcock, or Dave Faulkner of The Hoodoo Gurus - get the picture? Some people are going to complain that this type of vocalist clashes with the smooth pop sheen of the music, but others will find it a refreshing change of pace. The band lists influences such as the (surprise!) Hoodoo Gurus (James Hall is Australian), Teenage Fanclub, and the La's, and they honor their idols very well by hybridizing their sound. In addition to the aforementioned "Get It Together", other standouts for me include the rollicking "Looking for Someone" and delicious 70s pop throwback "Hurry Up". I'm also a big fan of the Replacements feel of the closing track, "Who Do You Love?", which is perfect for the vocal stylings of James Hall, and brings together all the best elements of Shake Some Action! into a single song. - Bill's Music Forum |
| Shake Some Action, the Seattle power pop band fronted by James Hall returns with more rockin' tunes on "Sunny Days Ahead." Like the last album, we get those classic 70's sounds updated for modern audiences. The opener "Get It Together" has that Kinks meet Strokes vibe, as this is a bit more agressive than the debut. My favorite tune here is "Looking For Someone" which reminds me of the Hoodoo Gurus or a more rockin' version of the La's. The sound across the album is fairly consistent. The familiar Rickenbacker jangle on "Hurry Up" would feel at home on a Grip Weeds album. "Draw The Line" draws from The Cars a bit and the Replacements even more. The hooks are all good too, although after the mid point the album sags a bit, then it picks up - "Unusual Girl" sounds like a cool They Might Be Giants track. The retro riff in "You Don't Care" is another winner - these guys would sound great touring with The Uglybeats! The sonic attack ending of "Who Do You Love?" has an atonal rock vocal contrasting with the really heavy guitar crunchiness making it closer to an Iggy Pop or Paul Westerberg song. You can hear samples on the bands web site or CD Baby. If you want a rock and jangle-y good time, you couldn't pick a better starting point. - Powerpopaholic |
Ritornano a poco più di un anno di distanza dall'omonimo, ottimo esordio (piazzatosi al #37 nella mia classifica degli lp dell'anno scorso) gli Shake Some Action! da Seattle. A parte l'apparente contraddizione tra titolo del disco (Sunny Days Ahead) e la provenienza da una città famosa soprattutto per il grunge e i nove mesi di pioggia all'anno, tutto il resto è coerente e fila liscio come l'olio. Essì, perchè a partire dal nome, la band guidata da James Hall tiene a precisare subito i propri connotati. Trattasi di grande powerpop, influenzato dai maestri che diedero lustro al genere tra la fine dei Settanta e l'inizio degli Ottanta, con qualche divagazione nella beatlemania e nella british invasion. La rotta di navigazione che guidava il disco d'esordio è ancora valida, ma gli Shake Some Action! hanno stavolta maturato una scorza leggermente più dura, almeno in qualche brano. Si ascolti l'iniziale Get It Together, una breve fucilata rocker che sostituisce alla melodia una grande dose di carica. Allo stesso modo, riff rock'n'roll insistiti e dritti allo stomaco arrivano da You Don't Care, mentre Lookin' For Someone, più strettamente vicina ai territori garage Albionici, presenta un coinvolgente intro di chitarra palesemente "dedicato" ai Kinks prima maniera. Non so se l'evoluzione di questo tipo di brani sia stata consciamente voluta da Hall oppure sia la logica conseguenza del "potenziamento" della line-up. Il primo disco degli Shake Some Action!, infatti, era poco più di un progetto solista, mentre questo Sunny Days Ahead è il parto di una band vera e propria, completata da Chris Campbell (batteria, cori e tastiere), David Bos (chitarra e cori) e da Gary Miller (basso). In fin dei conti non è molto importante, soprattutto perchè i brani citati sono assolutamente divertenti e perchè - in ogni caso - i restanti 10 pezzi soddisferanno di certo coloro i quali avevano apprezzato il lavoro d'esordio. La band non sbaglia un colpo e scrive powerpop songs essenziali, senza troppi fronzoli, melodiche ma potenti, grazie anche ad una produzione (firmata dallo stesso James Hall) sicura, confidente e rifinita con cognizione. Ne beneficia un grande suono segnato da una batteria "tesa" e vigorosa e soprattutto dalle classiche chitarre sferraglianti, in un impasto sonico che ricorda insieme il powerpop vigoroso degli Hoodoo Gurus e quello più "beatle-oriented" della band da cui prendono il nome (Unusual Girl - favolosi i la-la-la del controcanto - e Walking Away sono grandi esempi in questo senso) ma anche il mod beat degli Small Faces e i Nuggets come scuola di vita (che grande brano, Curtain Call).Il disco, nel complesso, è facilmente inquadrabile ma allo stesso tempo multidirezionale. Infatti, altre canzoni come Your Valentine sembrano addirittura pescare dalle caratteristiche melodiche dei Lemonheads, e altre come Draw The Line sembrano parti della premiata ditta Albarn/Coxon, senza dimenticare che due tra gli episodi migliori di Sunny Days Ahead sono rappresentati da due gemme merseybeat come Hurry Girl e I Don't Want To Talk About It, che uniscono una sorta di jingle-jangle spurio al brit pop antesignano degli La's. Dopo un gran bell'esordio, gli Shake Some Action! non sono inciampati nel "sophomore slump" né tantomeno sono caduti nel ripetitivo, sfoderando un album che, per le sonorità che ostenta, sembra fatto apposta per me e per tutti i lettori di questo blog, assomigliando ad una sorta di riassunto di quasi tutti i nostri generi prediletti. Un riassunto fatto con originalità, però, cantato e suonato molto bene, capace di coniugare alla grande melodia e urgenza. Non è facile. A Seattle piove sempre, vero, ma con gruppi come Shake Some Action!, Model Rockets, Superdeluxe (oltre ai padri della patria Posies), la ex città delle camice di flanella può stare tranquilla. Davanti ci sono tante giornate pieni di sole. - Emmanuel Marian, Under the Tangerine Tree |
| "This is a top-notch power pop album that features a number of jangly tracks – like “Hurry Up” (a strong candidate for this month’s Song of the Month honors), “I Don’t Want To Talk About It,” “Unusual Girl” and “Set Me Free.” I have said this before: lead vocalist James Hall’s voice reminds me a great deal of Dave Faulkner – the frontman for the Hoodoo Gurus. This is a good thing, as it gives Shake Some Action’s mainstream pop songs a bit more bite. - Eric Sorensen, Not Lame Blog |
| Shake Some Action är ett power pop band ifrån Seattle och har i dagarna släppt sitt andra album - "Sunny Days Ahead". Det som får mig att gå igång på semesterns första dag är inte lådbygget från förra inlägget utan Shake Some Actions låt "Hurry up". En 60-tals popsensation som klockas på 2:56 och klarar därmed gränsen för att inte klassas som rockopera. - Fuzz, Acid & Flowers |
When someone says “Seattle scene,” my thoughts instantly jump to Nirvana, Soundgarden, and any whatever-have-you grunge band.
Flash forward to the Seattle of the 2000s, and you will find the power pop scene. In that scene, there is a wonderful band called Shake Some Action! which plays some sweet pop songs which shine like the sun in otherwise cloudy Seattle.
Sunny Days Ahead is the second album by Shake Some Action! I haven’t listened to the first, but the strength of this one makes me want to pick it up. Being part of a genre called “power pop,” Shake Some Action! is expectedly very catchy. Now, I don’t listen to super-catchy music very often, but just listening to Sunny Days Ahead makes me think this is a wrong lifestyle choice. Catchy music is amazing because it’s so happy-sounding and can really lift your mood. It’s bands like Shake Some Action! that give me faith that there are plenty of bands out there who can craft pop masterpieces, even if they mostly go unnoticed.
Shake Some Action! seem to be drawing inspiration from the Monkees, early Beatles, the Beach Boys…pretty much any super catchy ’60s music group. Now take the harder edge of the Kinks, and add it to some roughness from punk. And voila, you have their brand of power pop.
Shake Some Action! is hardly the only power pop band around, but it’s the only one I’ve heard. The music style is reminscent of early R.E.M. for being so jangly and fun, probably along the lines of R.E.M’s Life’s Rich Pageant and Green. I’m almost tempted to call them a more fun version of R.E.M that doesn’t really mess around with all the heavy and cryptic lyrics.
This album was entirely recorded by one person – James Hall, who played drums, two guitar parts, and bass for the recording. This quite impressive feat goes to show Hall’s musical talent. For live shows, Hall has recruited a band that now frequently plays shows in the Seattle area. Now, if only they got a little bigger and did a tour which came through Oklahoma.
The album is short mostly because the songs are short. These are pop songs, and are meant to be brief and fun. The lyrics don’t really talk about anything deep, but don’t mistake that to mean they don’t talk about anything meaningful. They mostly deal with the theme that makes any pop song great: love. I would call the lyrics familiar rather than cliche.
I recommend Sunny Days Ahead to anyone looking for something poppy, fast-paced, and fun. It’s easy to enjoy as there’s not really much to wrap your head around. Just sit back and have fun!
"The year has just begun, and already the first knockout by an unknown band from out of left field has arrived. Taking their name from the wonderful Flamin' Groovies song of the same name, Seattle's Shake Some Action! has created something wonderful all its own. The quintet has pulled its influences from all over the map. One can detect echoes of 1980s Australian band the Hoodoo Gurus, Oasis at its least pompous and most invigorating, the jangling rush of Teenage Fanclub, and yes, the Flamin' Groovies during that band's mid-1970s British Invasion fixation. It sounds derivative on paper, but it all flows fluently through the band's capable hands into an effortless, cohesive whole right from the start. The opening "Sound of Your Mind" showcases everything SSA does well -- a killer tune, dynamic guitars, James Hall's powerful Robyn Hitchcock-on-steroids vocals, a brief, blazing solo -- and brings it all together in just over two minutes. The La's would have loved to have had "Without You" as the follow up to "There She Goes"; it has a similar soaring quality. Lyrics lamenting lost innocence and the pitfalls of growing older are nothing new, but "Complicated" shows that they can still have poignancy when served up with ringing guitars and a melody you'll have trouble getting out of your head. Add stinging rockers such as "Damaged" and "What You Want Me to Do," and the result is an album alive with the simple joys of guitar-based, hook-filled rock 'n' roll at its least affected -- and most affecting. FOUR STARS" - Sam Gnerre, the Daily Breeze. |
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| "Some people say it's wrong to love power pop. Rock music shouldn't be catchy and melodic, they say, it should be screeching and rebellious. They're wrong. Completely. Anyone who has popped in Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend or Elvis Costello & the Attraction's Armed Forces knows better. This rock captures more heart than any noise rock could hope to in any 15 minute distorted epic. Power pop is the realm where Shake Some Action! exist: finely crafted songs you can dance to with a bittersweet edge that make them perfect for any guy or gal who likes to rock but has, you know, feelings. Yay for feelings! For those of you who linger in the Pacific Northwest, Shake Some Action! is actually a new incarnation of The Jeunes, and a lot of what you hear is the child of former frontman James Hall. He comes across as part Poster Children, part Stone Roses, and part aforementioned Matthew Sweet. Most of Shake Some Action! songs have an undeniable catchiness without being overtly cheesy or poppy (yeah, we're not talking John Mayer or Jack Johnson territory here). The album itself is almost entirely Hall taking on all the instruments (with help from David Bos on the guitar), but it has a cohesive sound that speaks volumes for a "new act" like Shake Some Action! Opening track "Sound of Your Mind" sounds like a lost track from Teenage Fanclub's classic Bandwagonesque, with rich guitars overlain over more guitars all leading into the vocal harmonies of the chorus. It's exactly the type of song you want to lead an album such as this: loaded with pop sensibility but also a bit of bittersweet regret and topped with lots and lots of guitars. "Complicated" continues the trend with more of a Matthew Sweet feel and tone as Hall sings "How did it get so complicated/yesterday was so easy." Something about the combination of regret and vocal harmonies that is hard to explain, but feels so right. Things slow down a bit on "Orange Peel" and "Wasting Time," songs that feel like something from the long-lost Gigolo Aunts (everybody remembers them, right?). "Wasting Time" is especially strong, with a touch of 60's organ, horns and tapped rhythms that make it possibly the most fully realized song on Shake Some Action!, at least melodically, almost veering into Roy Orbison territory. However, the real strength for Shake Some Action! is the rock, and the pinnacles are probably "Damaged," "What You Want Me To Do," and "Someone Else's Friend". They're full of hooks and dripping with vocal and instrumental harmonies that would make The La's blush. "Someone Else's Friend" might be the most satisfying song on the album, writhing back and forth from a pure power pop gem to a more restrained power ballad. "Damaged" is a more Springsteen-like in its take, asking "I've been wondering/how'd you end up so damaged?" over pure late 70's/early 80's guitar, almost bordering of being U2-like in their tonality. However, "What You Want Me To Do" is destined to be the crowd number live, right down to the barely audible countdown at the beginning — this takes the Shake Some Action! sound to the streets, crashing the guitars and driving the drums into a nearly perfect power pop gem, right down to the bass solo criss-crossed with guitars. I couldn't think of a better way to close out the disc. Shake Some Action!'s self-titled album is a strong debut from Hall and the gang. While it might not be the most original indie rock disc to come out, it doesn't hold anything back for its 37 minute run time and what it does, it does well. There is nothing wrong with rock for rock's sake and that is what Shake Some Action! offers to the listening public: something to dance to, even if you think you're too cool to dance to it." - Erik Gonzalez, Three Imaginary Girls |
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"In 1966 Swinging London was in full bloom and the whole world seemed to be grooving to the Beatles’ pre-psychedelic masterpiece “Revolver.” Now at that time bands like the Beatles, the Nice, the Small Faces, etc. were referred to as “pop bands” because they were, well popular. Before the split between pop bands and rock bands occurred there existed a brief moment in the history of rock and roll where experimentation coupled with obvious hooks and impressive 2 and 3 part melodies made music so vibrant, exciting and….popular. Shake Some Action, the brainchild of Australian singer-songwriter James Hall reminds me of that slice of summer. With sweet multi-layered vocals, chiming Rickenbacher guitars and hooks a plenty, Shake Some Action is an album that requires a few listens before its intricacies and melodic treats become well ingrained in your brain. Have a listen to “I Can See Where This Is Going” or “Without You” for a perfect example of this great pop sensibility. Gorgeous multi-tracked vocals match perfectly with an instantly hummable melody that you will have a hard time shaking. And “Damaged” and “You’ve Got it Made” are what I would readily refer to as hard pop nuggets. A very impressive debut and available now. Check out their MySpace page for more songs to listen to and enjoy the trip back in time to when pop songcraft was less “American Idol” and more “Paperback Writer.” Good stuff." - the Rock and Roll Report |
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| "Ever wanted to hop into a time machine, travel back to the 1960's--when pop legends like the Beatles and the Who ruled the airwaves--and blast some catchy tune on the radio of your daddy's convertible while speeding to the beach to play volleyball in the sand? Me too. In lieu of an actual time machine, however, might I suggest the self-titled debut from Shake Some Action, whose fusion of pop and punk puts you right back in that convertible--this time with a skull and crossbones painted on the side. With James Hall at lead guitar, you can expect the same quality that put the Jeunes on the map. Sure, the band doesn't entirely avoid the stereotypical pitfalls of most pop music, and you can't help but notice a few instances of uninspired instrumentals and cliche lyrics (they actually rhyme "she followed me" with "it's meant to be." Oy). They make up for it, though, with edgy, gravel on sandpaper vocals and a few, dare I say, wicked guitar solos. By track six, "Without You," I've brushed my disdain for pop music aside and the stars align as Hall's beat up voice fuses with the sickly sweet lyrics and edgy, yet oddly harmonious instrumentals to create something that, for lack of a better phrase, kicks ass. Think the La's meet Bob Dylan, have a love child and teach him to play guitar. The verdict: I may not know how to "shake some action," but, as the last song on the album begins to play, by golly I'm shaking something." - Danielle Rollins, the Wig Fits All Heads. |
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