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Shotstar
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What The Hell is Rock N Roll?
Downfall Records/Sunset Alliance
Release: Available Now
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Rated:
Review by:
Derik Hendrickson
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Pure pop hasn't sounded this good in years. Tucson,
Arizona, band Shotstar are proud to wear their formative
years on their sleeve, and it's obvious. That is, these guys
grew up in an era they don't want to forget, and playing
music with obvious references to mid-70's punk and arena
rock is what they do. Somehow, they clean it up and add to
it a refreshing temper. In doing so, they've made a solid
pop-rock record that must be heard multiple times to be
truly understood and appreciated.
Delving only a minute deep into the record it's easy to
imagine the music playing in the Shotstar van between gigs:
Elvis Costello, The Who, Cheap Trick, The Donnas, and
perhaps even The Milwaukees.
The guitar work is refined and clean. The vocals may not
have the token British accent, but it wouldn't be a bad thing
if they did. And the songwriting, it's close to perfect. This
quartet is not afraid to play simple riffs, and they're happy to
let them stand alone.
The opening track on this record is "Class of '74" - think Elvis
Costello in his early years, but much more polished - maybe
something like "Oliver's Army" written by Weezer's Rivers
Cuomo and performed by Superdrag.
"Deadline" might possible hold the best lyric in the disc, with
the line, "What happens on the road stays on the
road."
The energy of the recording continues to build, and by the
time the listener makes it to "Windowsill" there is not
another record that matters as much as the remaining 4
songs on What The Hell Is Rock N' Roll. It
seems the boys of Shotstar have the answer, at least when
discussing their priorities, "Will you stand up and be a man,
or play your heart out in a stupid band." Damn, these songs
just get poppier and hookier as the disc continues!
Studio auteur Bob Hoag has helped manufacture another
masterpiece in his Flying Blanket Studios. This disc is a
must-have addition to any record collector with these
records on their shelf: Elvis Costello, The Milwaukees,
Weezer, The Beatles, Superdrag, Supergrass, The Clash,
Phantom Planet, The Din Pedals, and Palo Alto. |
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