Shackletons

5 lads, 1 band.



Shackletons !



Playing live near you soon. so make it a date.



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ALBUM REVIEWS



The Shackletons “Life’s Losing Love”



“Play it safe they say”, “play it what”, say Coventry mighty five-piece the Shackletons. While it’s comparatively easy for any band to do it your own way, it’s another matter entirely to get the ever-so important elements working in your favour. The Shackletons are doing it their way and doing it the right way. Already making a name for themselves in their native Coventry. Already they are being mooted as the next band most likely to break, especially after a recent appearance in the frighteningly hip NME.



Anyone who has heard the bands feature track “Too Grown Up” on their My Space site, won’t be surprised to hear that this CD “Life’s Losing Love” is a divine homage to the myriad of influences and musical role models held by the individual members of the band. Bearing this in mind, a lesser band would have probably produced a hideous miss-match of audio, as genre collides with genre. No such worries here, the album takes their obvious blues and country influences and wraps them up in a safe covering of rock n roll, creating something quite special in the process.



Whatever you do, don’t rob yourself of the chance of hearing some glorious tracks like “Love Lets You Down”, “Bridges Burning”, “Too Grown Up” (a modern day classic) and “Wait Until The Morning Comes”. It’s a strong mature debut, guaranteed to get the band some well deserved publicity in the coming weeks and months.



Pete Chambers

Coventry Telegraph



Shackletons

Life’s Losing Love



By Joanne Ostrowska (Freelance/NME magazine)



Monopolizing Coventry’s rising and thriving musical serge, the Shackletons have finally released their long-awaited debut album. Life’s losing Love is the homegrown and tenderly nurtured product years in the making, as the band took time to carefully craft their catalogue and alter their line-up. It’s just as well too, as latest addition and bassist Paul Hartry finally sent the album through production in his home studio. The result is a fresh sounding pop record with nostalgic qualities drawn from influences including Neil Young, Frank Zappa and The Faces.



Firing off with the short and snappy ‘Deal or New Deal’, the Midlands five-piece spend only one and a half minutes to sing of job centre queues and the perks of unemployment; all held together with a few rounds of sha la la la la las. The next track ‘Nobody Cares if You’re Dead’ exemplifies perfectly some of the best use of harmonica and slide guitar which continues throughout the next 10 tracks. Some of the more softer and mellow numbers such as ‘Too grown up’ sound like the possible product of an angsty teenager; but the lyrics go beyond petty adolescent insecurities. And so burns the soft and smouldering embers which crackle beneath the subsequent fire and ardency fuelling the band’s objectives.



Written in homage to singer Reid Currie’s dad, ‘Hold On’ opens with beautiful vocal harmonies from guitarist Ryan Every; and the entirety wastes no spillages in oozing sweet sentiment. However, the line “all you need is a hat to tip and a hole to take a shit” seems to emerge uncomfortably in an otherwise placidly-flowing tune. Working their bluegrass side, the revved up ‘Train Keeps Rollin’’ shows the band’s country western roots before feeding into the breezy ‘No Expectations’. Then songs don’t come more heartfelt than ‘Love Lets You Down’; the eighth track on the album is one of those spine-tingling numbers which you solely repeat for the first few plays of the album. The vocal harmonies, almost ska-like rhythm, and slide guitar solos flow directly through your ear drums and pull on your heart strings.



As a front-man, Reid aptly switches between a Dylan-esque enthusiast and Faces’ style Rod Stewart; yet not without a strong sense of individuality, and never failing to nail personal expression and emotion. Toward the end of the album comes a Zappa moment when the introduction of ‘When the Rain Comes’ pays tribute to one of the bands’ shared influences… “This is a message…” is therefore voiced over Ryan and Paul harmonizing the word “rain” repeatedly. Then ‘Time Goes By’ is another good example of slide guitar; played behind a set of contemplative lyrics, before the harmonica flares back up again in the final song of the record. ‘Wait Until the Morning Comes’ is almost like a mellowed down version of the first Faces’ hit ‘Stay With Me’, and a perfect way to round off the unruffled temperament of the entire album.



Life’s Losing Love is a 12 track search for meaning, and the bigger implications of life. If slow and steady wins the race, then the Shackletons should be careful not to sacrifice their prize for a potentially botched follow-up; as apparently their next album is already in the pipe-line. However, I get the feeling they’ll be no rushed catastrophes from this group of ardent devotees, and you’ll be doing nothing but holding on for another cracker!