Released by: Thermal Entertainment LLC
Line Up:
Eric Boatright – Vocals
Cody Hampton – Bass/Guitar
Seth Trimble – Guitar/Keyboard
Heath Fields – Drums
Tracklist:
1. We Roll
2. Rebel
3. Renegade
4. Fight Or Flight
5. Can You Hear Me
6. Start Fire
I admire a band that attempts to boldly try out different stuff musically. It’s inspiring, whether I like it or not, whether it works or not. This is a big reason why I am drawn towards Progressive music because they take the bounds or rock music and stretch it into soundscapes never before heard. A band doesn’t necessarily have to be a Progressive band to attempt to be progressive (note the capitalization change.) Prog bands (capital P) fit a certain stylistic sound. Bands that aren’t true Prog yet try different stuff I think of them being progressive, and this could simply be the blending of two styles that one wouldn’t initially believe a connection between. The band Shallow Side are drawing lines between multiple styles on their debut EP One.
I had no expectations going in. It’s one of those promo’s that just happened to fall into my hands and I went in with a completely open mind about it. The first thing that struck me was the vast leap of styles they attempt within the constraints of each song. Clearly, there is a very modern hard rock influence going on, with bands like Shinedown, Three Days Grace, and the like, but they’ve also tapped into an electronic dubstep sort of tinkering with an underlying modern country music feel to it as well, with major dips into the pop rock world. I’m not going to say I loved it because I didn’t, but I found it quite intriguing. Before I go any further, I can’t say I loved it because it delved too far into genre’s I simply don’t care for (modern hard rock, dubstep, and country actually,) but I didn’t hate it either. They managed to incorporate three sounds I don’t usually find myself listening to and shape it into something surprisingly unique while being somewhat familiar. With original tracks “Fight Or Flight,” “We Roll,” “Rebel,” “Start A Fire,” and “Can You Hear Me,” plus an interesting take on the Styx classic “Renegade,” Shallow Side show that they have their ears finely tuned to what’s going on in the world of popular music (not to be confused with Pop,) managing to including majorly diverse genres into a cohesive sound.
With One, Shallow Side bravely attempt to create something brand new for music fans while maintaining a familiarity that will bring some ease to the common music listener not accustomed to stepping outside their comfort zone. I’m not entirely sure if this will catch on with a lot of people (that’s something that is damn near tough to predict from music consumers,) but if any of what I’ve said sounds up your alley, check it out. Besides, as a huge Styx fan, kudos to them for tackling a band not many cover.
Rating: 7/10
Written by: Chris Martin