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Shook Ones

Facetious, Folly, Feat

Written by: PP on 23/11/2006 17:26:42

Why does Seattle seem to be one of the sources of awesome music? Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Botch, Death Cab For Cutie, Foo Fighters.. the list goes on and on, and on that list you'll find the Revelation Records' melodic punks Shook Ones with their sophomore album "Facetious, Folly, Feat", which takes you on a trip straight down the memory lane through the short 23 minutes the record lasts.

Hyper-energetic "Carms Race" is like scoring a goal straight from kick off: It kicks ass. It also sets a signpost on what to expect for the listener, as the rest of the album is as full of tuneful, anthem-laden punk rock melody as this one. Trademark punk rock drums are there - largely same beat exists on all tracks on the album, begging you to tap your finger along to whatever's near it, just like all of your favorite melodic punk bands from the 90s (NUFAN, NFAA, Mxpx for instance). The happy-hardcore feel is everpresent in frontman Scott Freeman's austere yet overly melodic vocals (think Lifetime here), and adds character to many of the tracks. As long as you don't come in expecting the band to re-invent the wheel for punk hardcore/melodic punk, you won't be able to resist the catchy "First Lunch, Then War" opening up with riffs straight from your favorite NOFX record, also working as one of my favorites on the record, just like the speedy "Virginia Beach Vanity Plate", which simply has everything much of today's music is missing. The songs hang together loosely, the instrumentals aren't full of gimmicks and the focus is on optimistic melody and speed - just like it was back in the glory days of melodic punk rock. Why more bands aren't doing this I don't know, because releases like this quickly become 'cult' releases in the scene, especially in a time when 'punk' bands seem to be focusing on creating more epic songs than simply making songs that make you want to rock hard all day every day (AFI, Yellowcard anyone?).

The only track I often tend to skip is the quiet "Ebb And Flow", which only features guitar and vocals, but even though the speed isn't there, the spotlight is set on Scott's characteristic voice which underlines his ability to sound melodic and harsh at the same time perfectly.

At a time when darker melody of metalcore and emo bands is reigning, "Facetious, Folly, Feat"'s bright punk rock is timely and reminds us that music need not to sound heavy and dark in order to be pleasurable. Whether you like your punk rock like "Life In General" by Mxpx or "Punk In Drublic" by NOFX, ignoring Shook Ones is a mistake too big to be made in a time when straightforward punk rock bands are few and far between.

Download: "First Lunch, Then War", "Virginia Beach Vanity Plate"
For the fans of: Kid Dynamite, Strike Anywhere, NOFX, Sinking Ships, Lifetime
Listen: Myspace

Release date 30.10.2006
Revelation
Provided by Target ApS