The Shake - Well, Oh Well

Label: Self-Released
Rating: 4 Guns

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Garage rock at its finest, The Shake hammer it home with “Well, Oh Well,” a 10-song disc that takes the Rolling Stones and adds a lot of distortion. The fancy guitar work is by far the best part of the album, as these particular indie rockers have brought talent back to the mix in an ever-bland era of music.

“Shots” opens the album. Fuzzy, captivating, and laden with all sorts of sophisticated guitar work, this is by far one of the best album-openers I’ve heard this year.

The Shake – “Shots”


“YNA” follows, a funky and smooth indie rock song that highlights the individual talents of each band member.

Instrumental track, “Spinning,” slows the album down a bit (not necessarily a bad thing), and rips right into the radio-oriented title-track, “Well, Oh Well.” A cross between Nirvana’s “All Apologies” and Third Eye Blind’s “Jumper,” this song without a doubt belongs on the radio.

“Eden’s Shore,” takes the album on an Oasis-inspired ride into the ether, complete with acoustic guitars and piano. Every album needs a slow song, and “Eden’s Shore” makes for a great ballad.

Sounding like they walked right out of the U.K., the next songs, “Good Girl” and “Isn’t It Obvious” are inspired by 70s British Rock and contemporary bands as The Hives and The Strokes.

“You’re Still Young, Melanie,” is the most contemporary song on the album, blending modern rock with 80s new wave and garage rock.

Paying homage to their influences, The Shake offers their fuzzy version of The Who’s “My Generation.” This song’s been covered billions of times by lesser bands, but The Shake’s version is by far one of the coolest versions floating around out there.

“Families And Christmas Trees” closes “Well, Oh Well.” What I like about this song is that it can’t decide whether it wants to be a rocker or a ballad, which makes for a pretty cool hybrid. Slow in some part, and heavy in others, “Families And Christmas Trees” makes for a perfect end song for a diverse and entertaining record.

Like this band? You may also like: The Strokes, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Killers, The Hives, The Vines