 There are many things that these guys have going for them. They have an original sound which in an awesome rock-out sort of way is a little 90's but works and put on a great show plus they live in region in deep need of such artistry. So as I pull away from this bizarre Dayton town (filled with rare genius yet rife with anti-genius attitudes) I hope its not the last I see of SHRUG... but I really don't feel the need to seriously worry about that one.
Underworld
I'm inspired by this piece.. The way the soft acoustic guitar swiftly starts the song and how Tod's stark, pained melodic voice collides into it's strum. It's sample of what is to come on the album. I love my job because of stuff like this. With each review I find better music to add to my personal collection.
The bass and drums hold back just enough to fully embrace the feeling of song. It's a very similar feeling to that of Counting Crows "Mr Jones" and Tom Petty's"Wildflowers". I think that the message of the lyrics are powerful enough to warrant an interpretation seperate from the music, as they're strong enough even to stand on their own. The recording is crisp and clear. But if what you seek is a rocked out jamming tune then you may prefer something more like "Little Trophy",) the next song, for though this is in no way a "singer songwriter" piece it is intentionally light on everything but Weidner's voice and guitar. And oh yeah ... some Sitar-like instrument that chimes in during the chorus.
While we all like pattering on about the singer and frontman, in this case always more than noteworthy is the band. I mean, these guys are one extremely tight outfit. The musicianship of these four is downright phenomenal.
Here's a song that by all rights should be on the radio. I loved it.
Little Trophys
I would expect to hear this song at a big beach bash opening for the Ramones with the sun setting over fiery sand dunes. Little Trophy kicks ass! The thing that stands up here is the way the band rocks out for the entire song, keeping up a high dynamic the whole way through. Tod's voice shows a different side and sounds a bit punk here. This is a track not to be missed live and I think that they did a great job reproducing it on their self titled album "shrug."
This song bounces around like a Violent Femmes track and Tod's vocals stay true to that Audio-imagery all the way. It's a got a wild, energetic sound. Once again, Eric's subtle and well-placed guitar and vocal harmonies compliment this tune nicely. Also, the rhythm section (comprised of rock-solid drummer Dan Stahl and rock-steady bass player Bryan Lakatos) is really what brings the stylistic "femme-like" aspects to this song. As I stated earlier SHRUG is obviously a highly seasoned, well rehearsed band and that shows. At little points in the song I do get the feeling that its coming from a band in Dayton, Ohio. While at points, the song seems to need a little more than it has. However, the tune rounds off nicely with every chorus go-round.
Get lost in the steady beat of the drum and play this song a couple times. It only gets better with every listen.
For fans of the good stuff, SHRUG is and always has been a sure bet, and this wouldn't be the first time these guys were referred to as "the real deal", and it definitely won't be the last. Take a listen and at least be able to say that you were listening to these guys before they became (do the quote-unquote thingie with your fingers here) "popular" -- download some singles from their website and get the word out. I mean, get these guys the heck on the radio and the Letterman Show and the "3 doors down" type bands out there ... well ... off. ~bfreaks
Courtney Odom-Rai
BandFreaks(c) Staff Reviewer
courtney@bandfreaks.com |
