Shimmer
Self-titled CD
Cake
Records
Genres: funk rock, rock/pop
Cake Records
P O Box 1801
Tacoma, WA 98401-1801 USA
July 11 - 17 2005 |
A smooth Cake Records band that shares my namesake; what's there not
to like? Shimmer play funky rock à la Jamiroquai or, more
recently, Maroon 5 - they let the good times flow and never
miss a beat as far as pop hooks and style go. Opener "Don't Trip
on Your Way Out" is the clear-cut single here; if given the right
airtime, it could be a minor mainstream success in the way
"Virtual Insanity" or "Two Princes" (Spin
Doctors) was. This is a really crisp recording, and the
performances are tight; the songwriting is the deciding factor, and
for the most part it's pretty successful. It's hard not to notice the
presence of at least a little filler, but standout songs like the
opener and "Needle to the Vinyl" are enough to hold a
listener's attention - assuming they don't tire of the formula
over the record's ten tracks.
As far as funk-rock material goes, Shimmer's disc makes a
nice addition to the pile. The genre has a tendency to sound pretty
homogeneous, and this album isn't really a departure from that trend;
however, for people accustomed to (and in love with) the sound, this
is pure gold.
85%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
10 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2005] |
