The Shake – Kick It

The Shake – Kick It / 2006 Self / 9 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/theshakeband /

The band comes forth to us with a sound that blends together equal parts FOo Fighters and Bad Religion. The first track on “Kick It” is “Frequency”, and it shows the band’s ability to create a wall of sound. The only thing that could be construed as a negative on this opening track is the high amount of distortion. With the solid arrangements played by the band, the distortion is not needed, and it actually detracts from what is a solid opening and introduction to the band. What the band ultimately settles down to in this track is a current rock style that is linked heavily to the sixties rock style. This distortion sounds more like a constraint of the recording process than from anything that the band was responsible for, so one cannot fault them all that much.

The band shifts their style slightly for “Outcast”, taking up a little rockabilly influence to the track. The band still comes forth with that Oasis/Blue-retro type of sound on the track, drawing linkages between the first few tracks of “Kick It”. while each of the first few tracks on “Kick It” were short, punchy introductions to the band, “8 O’Clock” is a song that lasts for over 4 minutes. This is the band’s first real test on the album, and the slower tempoed song is a solid continuance of some of the styles and approaches that first presented themselves on earlier tracks on this album. This minor shift in the sound provided listeners by The Shake keeps individuals interested in the band, something that is definitely needed at the middle-point of this album.

The one thing that starts to reveal itself during “Kick It” is the fact that the band does not have a single-worthy track present on the album. Sure, the songs are fun on their own merit, but there is not the song on “Kick It” that will catapult the band into some semblance of fame. For their next album, this is what The Shake needs to do. Craft a song like “8 O’Clock” and stick in a hook or solo that will get individuals focused in on the track. The song is almost what the band needs, but the band is ultimately on the outside looking in with this album. Give the disc a listen and then check back with the band in a few years; hopefully they will have worked on their overall sound.

Top Tracks: 8 O’Clock, Manic Boogie

Rating: 5.6/10