Band: The Shiny Darks
Album: Stab At Love EP
Label: none
Release Date: Feb. 2011
>Download for Free from IVM right here<
Track Listing:
- Stab at Love
- I Wanna Be a Kennedy
- Photographs
- Holiday
The Shiny Darks bring their throwback punk rock style back into the mix with their 4-song EP titled Stab At Love. Some kids might consider this sound to fall into the “oldies” but this brand of punk ROCK is still kicking today with bands like Swingin Utters and Street Dogs, a style that is rock n’ roll but with a little edge. There was a time when you could understand clearly what the vocalist was singing and songs were catchy and fun, The Shiny Darks are attempting to bring that sound back to the forefront.
From the get-go you notice that the EP has very quality production; the guitars are crisp and clear and when the distortion kicks in you can still clearly define different chords. The low-end is nice too, solid and slightly fat but not too boomy. “Stab at Love” is the title track and leads off the EP and almost instantly you hear the catchy-ness with a groovy little bass riff before the whole band kicks in. The vocals are not perfect, they’re not auto-tuned, they’re honest and have character. The band sounds best when they’re playing at full-volume, the vocals have a little strain to them and sounds very energetic. During the softer parts of songs, like the bridge of “Stab at Love” or most of “Photographs” the vocals sound a bit shaky.
The theme of the EP is loss and disappointment, the idea of wanting something better but when you finally get it you’re usually let down. In “I Wanna Be a Kennedy” the singer explains after hitting it big time that “I’ve lost everything, I’ve got nothing left. My hearts a grave.” “Holiday” is the most outwardly spiritual song singing “Every day was harder than the last, but I held on. Looking back God never let go of my soul.” It might be a little frustrating to some listeners that often throughout the EP the writer does not rhyme the verses, a little bit awkward but nonetheless it does not take away too much from the final product.
OVERALL The Shiny Darks are attempting to make punk rock relevant again with fun light-hearted rock n’roll songs on Stab At Love. If you’re sick of the same old loud, whiny, over-produced, monotone rock music you’ll enjoy the creativity and diversity of The Shiny Darks.
Don’t forget to download this ep for free from IVM right here