The Shaker Heights - Magna Doors
If only they could learn to hook us before there is a minute left on each of these songs, it would be all fine and dandy.
This album starts off very slow, with the moody but light-hearted track 'All About White Out'. Throughout the disc, the band sound like a weaker Idlewild - the chorus here is repetitive, and although the music is good, the vocals do little to strike a chord with us. 'Waiting On Me', although it betrays some great influences like Sonic Youth, here the band are too slow to pick up the pace.
It isn't until the intelligent folk rock of 'Magna Doors', the album's title track, that the band seemingly allow themselves to come into their own. The group use multiple instruments to woo our senses into submission on this, and on 'Write To Me Bucheimer', the band show that they can compose good quality work. Still there is little in terms of substance or a 'bite' to hook the listener - the tone is always kept relatively slow on each song, and this is what can be credited as the band's downfall for the most part.
Sixth track 'We Are Old Baby', however, is a primary standout; the guitars take a slightly more upbeat turn and cross Cure-like chords with Joy Division-esque vocal qualities. The band work well together on this to quicken the pace and keep our brains active. The ambient and progressive 'Guillotine' follows suit, keeping up the momentum after the previous track. This is atmospheric and bold, reminiscent of very raw Bob Dylan vocals.
Finally, the country rock dynamics of 'Intimidation' slow things down again for a thoughtful and reflective acoustic guitar-driven epic which conjures up some nice reminders of The Doors. Indeed, at times the sound is very similar to Morrison and co. - very stripped down and bleak, but once the songs build up for the chorus they become something much stronger.
Last track 'Words To The Open' will make you think of a less happy Polyphonic Spree, and again, if you give it time to grow on you, about three minutes in, it becomes something really beautiful. Given as the song is just under four minutes long, you may take that as you wish.
The story of this album is that The Shaker Heights are a band that mix pop, country and folk to decent effect and they have tons of potential - if only they could learn to hook us before there is a minute left on each of these songs it would be all fine and dandy. They have found a sound, but these boys and girl are only just realising - ever so slowly - the vast array of possibilities that lay before them.
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