Shy is back with their second fresh full length effort since the latest reformation, which saw the return of original vocalist Tony Mills after a multi year and much missed absence. They came prepared with some great music and backed that up with killer performances and a polished production that brings their efforts into the spotlight. Their nearly signature sound remains intact, one that melted the
AOR approach of
Journey and Orion the Hunter, even more keyboards, a heavy heaping of Westcoast that disguises their English roots, and the higher-pitched-than-Perry vocals of Tony Mills, a combo that might not at a descriptive glance seem all that innovative, but the way the band put it together made it seem like an
AOR breakthrough at the time, circa early 1980s.
"Sunset and Vine" follows through on delivering this much beloved sound once again, but this time strips away a large portion of the keyboards, guiding them towards the background as a supporting player and pulls the guitars into the forefront. Yet even with this potentially sound morphing change, they still manage to keep the
Shyness that made them stand out above the crowd intact, a feat that not many bands could pull off successfully without losing a piece of themselves in the process.
While there is nothing here that I would rank above "Skydiving" from "Unfinished Business", what follows here is a solid album that has a nice flow. The detractors are the running times of the songs, some seem to overstay their welcome and would have been more enjoyable if trimmed back a bit, and the fact that a couple of these tunes are just too similar to really separate in one's mind. Other than those little quibbles, be prepared for a really enjoyable
AOR ride.
The CD begins in fine form with
"High Time" which has the magic of "Skydiving" from
Shy's previous disc. The harmonies are rich and tight and oozing with melody, very 80s style and reminiscent of
Journey. Tony Mills can still hit those high notes and does so with passion and the same kind of "air raid" feel as in the past. Those familiar with "Excess All Areas" will likely not be disappointed with this strong opener.
"Open Your Heart", again has a
Journey-esque feel, but some of the cozy keyboard fluff has been replaced with some rather meaty guitar that drives the song with an unexpected forceful display and the kind of rockin' push that drove "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" by
Journey, so many years ago at the dawn of the 80s.
"Soul Searching" cranks it once more with a stuttering approach at the opening before careening out of control on the wings of electric guitar that oozes through every crack, being the major backbone, even during the big chorus. The quality of the guitar tone has the same bite coupled with the easy flowing aura of Reb Beach's instrumental "Black Magic".
Time for a ballad and
Shy delivers in a massive way with
"Where Is The Love". A moody opening gives it an interesting flavor, and this musical premise continues to be strung through the supporting verses like a twisting ribbon, sadness fraying its edges. A massive melodic chorus is thrown in for good measure, but it's the slinking atmospheres sandwiching it in-between that makes the song, along with the gorgeous guitar courtesy of Ian Richardson and Steve Harris. Of special mention is the solo, a lengthy display of beauty and heartfelt string bending of the likes I haven't been moved by in ages. At seven minutes, it runs on just a tad too long, but the quality contained within that time frame just can't be denied.
"You Could Be Dreaming" continues down the road that's paved with fantastic spurts of electric excitement. There is so much guitar to be found here, galloping away with feverish thunder and unfurling riffs with a fiery splendor. Even the more subdued sections where they take a bit of a breather before pushing headfirst into the bridge, are accented with axework. There's a nice chorus here too but nothing too special, it is definitely the six string antics that take center stage here, the vocals and the rest are just icing on the cake.
The ghost of Perry-era
Journey can be detected again here.
"Don't Jump the Gun" would be right at home on that commercial friendly swan song, "Raised on Radio". The only major exception is that the guitars are once more the focal point and the keyboards are so downplayed they don't make much impact at all, something that would not have been the norm for 80s era music, even in a page from
Shy's past you wouldn't hear so many songs where the keys take a backseat as they do here. The closing has bits of vocals, Mills singing a few words, stopping abruptly, the axe answers back with its crystal clear response, and they trade vocal with string bending back and forth til fade. It is little things like this that make an otherwise basic melodic rocker into something special.
"First Love" really doesn't vary the formula enough to stand out on its own. It kind of mimics the rockier approach from other songs on the album and this is the resulting mixture. It has that high flying
AOR intensity and richness, and is not a bad song by any stretch of the imagination but just lacks the little extras to make it special. This is more of a by the book afterthought for filler than something which feels like the band put real effort in.
"I Will Be Home Tonight" sees Mills controlling his range, which is naturally on the high pitched side a'la Tony Harnell, but he wields it like a weapon with some softer deliveries. This is just simply a gorgeous song, silky smooth in every aspect, and as relaxing and soothing as anything from Street Talk. The Westcoast influences are an evident delight. Oh and that chorus.just lovely with its dulcet melody and caressing instrumental surroundings, the keys supplying a delicate backdrop to the emotive electric showcase and heart struggling vocals. Seven minutes may seem like a bit of a long stretch for an
AOR song such as this, but here, every second is like magic.
"Don't wish for summer rain."
"Walk Through Fire" is shorter yet retains that sweetness, in fact, this more clipped and to the point running time works better for this type of music. It does seem nearly perfect in execution from the opening to the end, being jam packed with keyboards, guitars and those high register vocals, and also has the best bridge of the entire album. It is the kind that builds intensity to nearly bursting, that boiling point would be the chorus, which switches back and forth between gang vocals and Tony belting it out all alone. A truly superb
AOR anthem all the way through, and a prime example of how the 80s based formula can be updated and unleashed in the here and now without sounding dated.
"Slowly" has a nice beefy rhythm section that holds the song together like glue and utterly essential for this one to stand out, since it seems to follow along the same paths as
"First Love", etc. It's that little twist in the percussion that sets it apart, along with the chorus that flashes visions of
Frontline from their more
AOR-like beginnings, mainly the "State of Rock" debut. From the softer acoustic areas punctuated with Mills' haunting voice to the gigantic chorus that seems to barely be able to contain itself in the confines of the song, this is a great way to finish off the disc. A song that straddles that fine line between mid and uptempo, melting moments of both into what might seem similar to others but has this addictively saccharine quality of its own that keeps you running back for just one more sugar rush fix.
Shy have done it a second time since their reunion with this excellent release. It is the perfect companion piece to 2002's "Unfinished Business", which was more keyboard driven in the traditional
Shy approach, while this one manages to retain that same feel but using guitars in the forefront instead, for a little more kick. This caught me off guard at first, since the expectations were for synth heavy
AOR, but this new twist gives a fresh flavor to that comforting 80s-old formula. The performances are exceptional, the songs penned with the kind of self assured natural flow that can come from only experience, and the production is just barely grazing the line from being top-notch. This is a release not to be missed for anyone that has even one or two
Journey,
Frontline or Hugo related releases on their shelves. Better than "Unfinished Business" or the me-decade masterpiece, "Excess All Areas"? Perhaps not, but still a must not to be missed.
Written by
Alanna Sunday, February 6, 2005
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