Record Review: Shake Some Action – S/T (Satellite 451 Records)
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.
Later.
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