REVIEW: Shed Seven, Change Giver (Polydor)
- Tim Mohr
Shed Seven is a very young band. One read through the lyrics will confirm this. Few mature bands would fill an album with lines like "I can see through all your see through clothes/I've got to see you cause I like you loads." Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of Shed Seven's lyrical shortcomings is singer Rick Witter's occasional vocal similarity to Miles Hunt of the (now-defunct) Wonder Stuff: the suggestion of the Wonder Stuff offering such bland texts is unsettling.
Musically Shed Seven is more professional but not much less banal. The opener, "Dirty Soul," sounds like a bantam-weight remake of the Knack classic "My Sharona." Unfortunately "Dirty Soul" lacks the irresistible propulsion of the original new wave hit.
The next song, the single "Speak Easy," formulates a sound reminiscent of the Mighty Lemon Drops (Sire) or High Back Chairs (Dischord) - average indie pop without the 60s inflection of pop purists. Shed Seven take their musical cue from Split Enz or Modern English or other early 80s guitar bands - though without the inescapable melodies and hooks that such bands routinely provided.
By the third song the basic lines of the album are clear, though in fairness the songs seem to get increasingly better as the album progresses. "Long Time Dead" has more engaging lyrics than the first two tracks, reaches some dynamic juxtapositions, and brings in some different guitar sounds.
The production, while not cheap, sounds somewhat small-time. Of course, this may be the point. On the tracks that demand more, it is forthcoming. Tracks like the standout "Ocean Pie" or the only lengthy track, "On An Island With You," are augmented with extra touches: a sprinkle of keyboards, watery sound effects. Anyway, with no production or mixing credits there is nobody to congratulate or blame for the sound quality.
Shed Seven should appeal to listeners seeking earnest, youthfully unpretensious guitar songs. Change Giver is a competent and at times catchy debut, but is miles away from recent milestones like the confident Oasis debut or Ride's latest album. Shed Seven ignore currently fashionable influences by avoiding punk sensibilities and not peering into the distant past. And while a new wave of new wave may be cresting, Shed Seven may reveal why a second new wave could fail: they lack the eccentricity and originality of bands that initiated the first one. In short, Shed Seven is not the type of band that inspires passion.
