Album Reviews
Apparently some of the greatest shakes arund can be found at Fenton's Creamery in Oakland, California. This particular creamery has been around for 119 years. Which is a lot longer than the new Belgian/Dutch band, Great Shakes. But that doesn’t stop these guys from whipping up tasty tuneage all their own. Sure, it’s no mocha almond fudge but hey!
On their self-titled debut, they burn through a dozen punk rock songs that are highly melodic and catchy yet still manage to hold on to a rough edge. There’s a healthy amount of Hot Water Music worship going on in cuts like ‘The Flood’ or ‘November Star,’both of which are amazing, but Great Shakes will just as well dish out a Ramonescore jam like ‘Celebrate My Life’, go all poppy in ‘Ordinary Life’ or opt for a Lawrence Arms meets Anti-Flag vibe in ‘Ego Complex’. Whatever route they choose to travel down, the end result is always impressive.
Track listing:
- The Flood
- Summertime Alone
- Get A Little Closer
- November Star
- Celebrate My Life
- Ordinary Life
- Ego Complex
- Falling Forever
- Bitter Nights
- Confessions
- Never Gonna Die
- Say Goodbye At The End
Lacking the talent to actually play in a band, Tom decided he would write about bands instead. Turns out his writing skills are mediocre at best as well.
