Reviewed by Peter John Willoughby

Punk rock is more than just a style; it's also an attitude towards life. The Shiny Darks approach this "with a (metaphorical) kick to the face and a pat on the back". These Houston-based punk rockers were produced by Sylvia Massy (Tool, Johnny Cash) and veteran studio/session musician turned producer Cameron McKenzie. The title track opens with a xylophone before the rumbling bass takes up the same playful tune and the guitar riffs cascade in and out. The song deals with the end of a love affair and the realisation that it may have been for the best. "What a shock when you disappeared/Words just lies, but oh so clear/You slammed the door shut, cut my heart in two/Thank God! I realised you're not the one". Next is a charging, blistering riff laden jolt of vitriol "I wanna be a Kennedy/Live my life on the silver screen/I wanna be a Kennedy/Cause everything's better in the American Dream" and goes on to contrast this with the everyday experience of the working man. It turns out to be one of the catchiest radio-friendly punk tracks of the year. "Photographs" is more melodic and could almost be described as a ballad, apart from a couple of short sections of loud guitar. It revisits the theme of love lost, but on a wistful, tender level. "I found some photographs while I was trying to forget you/You're still the same, but your smile sure has changed/And every day that passes by, makes me think even less so I/I threw the photographs away". They finish with the gloriously raucous "Holiday". Now you might be expecting a cheery song about summer and sunshine, but this is about taking a holiday to Hell. Reflecting that sometimes life can be a kick in the teeth "Sometimes you gotta go through Hell/To hear the ringing of heaven's bell". Well worth searching out.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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