Yet another diatribe on the dismal state of the music business is hardly required here, but that the industry is on its last legs is surely the only feasible reason why THE SHAKER HYMN have ended up releasing their debut LP ‘Rascal’s Antique’ through their own Heavy Noids label.
This writer’s previously suggested that respected imprints such as Creation or Go! Discs would have snapped this ace young Cork quartet up sooner than blink in healthier times and this first night of the six-date Irish jaunt to launch the band’s firstborn simply reinforces W&H’s long-held belief that something very special is indeed coming together here.
At face value, there’s not apparently any major sonic wheel reinvention or suchlike going down. The Shaker Hymn happily comply with the tried’ n’ tested two guitars, bass and drums format and while frontman Caoilian Sherlock isn’t averse to a little chat between numbers, it’s the music which primarily dictates the proceedings tonight.
Thing is, though, when the music’s this good, then that’s more than fine and dandy. There have been a few aesthetic changes since W&H last clocked ‘em (for example, bassist Donal Linehan has swapped his Danelectro for a chunkier Fender Precision and Caoilian sports a new mint green Ibanez) but it’s clearly not done them any harm, for the whole band exude a quiet, but notable confidence these days.
Admittedly, it helps when you’ve got an LP’s worth of material as impressive as ‘Rascal’s Antique’ to draw upon and The Shaker Hymn gleefully plunder most of its best tonight; delving into a taut ‘You Taste Like Nothing (On The Vine)’ early on and following it sharply with a dramatic version of kill-or-be-killed scenario ‘Hunter & The Headman’. It’s a nicely-balanced set, too, with the ghostly ‘Cold Unknown’ and the gorgeous Alex Chilton-ish ballad ‘Caroline’ coming along just prior to the deceptively catchy, La’s-esque ‘Get Away’ wherein lead guitarist Robbie Barron unleashes one of his most elegant solos.
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Resting on laurels clearly ain’t on this band’s agenda either. A robust percentage of new material gatecrashes its way into their well-received, hour-long set and new numbers such as ‘The Way It All Works Out’, the melancholic ‘Hole In The Head’ and – kicked along by Shane Murphy’s forceful drumming – the likeably brawny ‘Trophy Child’ suggest that we’re still only scratching the surface here as yet, regardless of how good ‘Rascal’s Antique’ may be.
I’m not going to beat around the bush here. Though they’re not naturally extroverted, The Shaker Hymn simply demand your attention. They’ve just released one of 2014’s consistently fine debuts to date and they relish producing the intelligent and impassioned goods live. Get converted and join their congregation. Now.
The Shaker Hymn online
De Barra's online
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