The story goes that Tom Petty first saw The Shelters in a club and took a liking to them, showing them to his home studio and letting them mess around with things and showing them what he thought they could be. Viewed through the lens of a “guitar pop record that Tom Petty would encourage somebody to make,” The Shelters’ debut makes a lot of sense.

And it’s not to say that the band’s style eliminates the possibility of them working on original material. Songs like Birdwatching, Surely Burn, and Down deviate from the script, taking some influence from 70s punk and the grunge scene.

I’m quite partial to Nothin’ in the World Can Stop Me Worryin’ ‘Bout That Girl, which feels like an old-time blues track combined with an oddball White Stripes moment. The tracks like that on this record are obsessively fun.

What makes the whole album work, more than some people might suggest when they call it a throwback, is the way they bring together an obvious reverence for the past with a modern sense of groove and motion, giving the sound an update for the modern era without alienation fans of that old-style rock and roll.

The Shelters won’t be loved by everybody, but it feels like a band that many of us can at least appreciate. For a debut, it’s impressive. And although it doesn’t play with too many new ideas, it makes me believe that The Shelters have a few — and I’m excited to hear them sometime down the line.

The post The Shelters: The Shelters appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

The album’s standout tracks are completely unafraid of unconventionality. The previously mentioned Welcome to Earth becomes a celebration by the time it’s over. Keep It Between the Lines feels as country as it does soul. By the time you get to In Bloom, Sturgill’s (excellent) Nirvana cover, you’re struck by its traditional country flavour. Ironically, it’s one of the most straight-forward country tracks on the record — even when it gets louder towards its ending.

A Sailor’s Guide to Earth isn’t just unusual musically, although you’d be forgiven for not noticing the subtleties on your first couple listens. Simpson’s lyrics are uncompromisingly optimistic, likely because of the album’s theme: A Sailor’s Guide to Earth is a love letter and note to his newborn son. It’s clear that Simpson is full of hope and optimism for his son, and for the future generations.

There are no mopey tracks, and few moments that dabble in pessimism. Even In Bloom feels positive (largely thanks to its near-lullaby like state).

If anything truly stands out though, it’s Sturgill’s songwriting quality. He’s become a country superstar, one with an uncompromising creative vision. A Sailor’s Guide to Earth is his most accomplished record yet, and it feels as transcendent and intimate as Father John Misty’s I Love You, Honeybear did last year. For the first time in several years, we may have a serious country contender for album of the year.

The post Sturgill Simpson: A Sailor’s Guide to Earth appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

Something’s changed though. Now they’re a good Metallica/Iron Maiden cover band. I mean, this album is basically a complete and total ripoff of The Black Album, which skyrocketed Metallica to stardom. I mean, your grandmother probably knows Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters. Well, compare Shepherd of Fire to Enter Sandman in structure and riffage. There are a ton of similarities.

Similarly, compare This Means War and Sad But True. They’re nearly the same song, especially that verse riff. I’m not complaining. The Black Album is one of the best hard rock albums of all time. I still listen to it, and I can’t say that about all the metal records I’ve got.

If you can get over the poser pretence of “It’s not metal enough!”, you might realize Avenged Sevenfold are actually great songwriters with cranked up Marshall amps and pointy guitars. Heretic sounds like Iron Maiden, and not even in a modern way. It’s vintage, like my old Alice in Chains teeshirt. And the title track is really making the rounds right now.

What really impresses me, though, is Acid Rain. It ends the album strongly with all sorts of emotional crooning and Guns and Roses-like bravado.

With Hail to the King, Avenged is straddling the line between hard rock your mom could listen to and hard rock with just enough bite to keep it cool. Check it out.

The post Avenged Sevenfold: Hail to the King appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

The St. Louis Blues has got what I’d call a rollicking piano riff, but goes through standard and modern jazz and blues vibes like a monkey let loose in a smokey 1940’s bar after being taught to tango. The whole album almost goes on and on forever, with Laurie seemingly boundless with energy, and it never overstays its welcome.

Laurie doesn’t perform alone, though: with a backing choir and full set of performers stomping through tracks with him, Laurie really captures the essence of New Orleans jazz by making you feel like you’re part of the live experience. Maybe it’s because Laurie isn’t American and has had to find ways to recreate the New Orleans soul experience with the context of Great Britain, but he’s remarkably successful at channeling a nearly gospel-like reverence for the sound.

Wild Honey just roars with bristling piano riffs and Laurie’s powerful vocal work. When he says he’s a “jack of all trades, a master of fun,” for what it’s worth, I believe him. I Hate a Man Like You stings like it’s something your ex-partner once said. Changes resonates with me, as everybody I know is moving all over the world after school and we’re all saying these constant bittersweet goodbyes. Laurie’s right — love does always change to sorrow, and life is here today and gone tomorrow, but still the world keeps going. And how cruel is that? At least the foot-stomping trombones will keep us company even when nobody else will.

The post Hugh Laurie: Didn’t It Rain appeared first on Unsung Sundays.