Sheer Mag keep their cards close to their chest; we only ever see as much of their hand as they want us to. The band formed only three years ago in Philadelphia and have since amassed a following the old way, with basement shows, a slew of 7”s and a fistful of riffs that fuse Thin Lizzy with righteous power-pop in place of a social media presence and network of industry people.
After the success of their short-form releases - collected on a compilation LP last year - their debut full-length finds them applying an ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ mantra. Here they have stuck to their favoured method of recording everything on a Tascam 8-track machine, giving these songs a liberal coating of fuzz.
‘Need To Feel Your Love’ finds the band further embracing their collective influences, from twin guitar leads derived from Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson to, as they admitted in a Rolling Stone profile, disco greats like Nile Rodgers and Abba, whose influence is keenly felt on the title track.
The Thin Lizzy comparison is one that continues to crop up in column inches dedicated to the band, and rightly so. Sheer Mag deal in riffs that will occupy prime real estate in your hum bank for the foreseeable future. Allied to vocalist Tina Halladay’s impressive soul-inspired wail and meaningful songwriting, which is shared between the Seely brothers, Hart and Kyle, Halladay and guitarist Matt Palmer, you’ve got a solid formula for earworms aplenty.
Though the subject matter varies from track to track, there is clearly a middle finger being held up throughout the record. Meet Me In The Street, the album’s first song, immediately introduces a defiant streak in the face of injustice. “We’re throwing rocks at the boys in blue,” sings Halladay, adding: “Nothing to do but keep battling on and on and on.”
Suffer Me was written by Palmer to commemorate the Stonewall riots in New York, while Expect The Bayonet switches focus to the recent US presidential election, specifically issues surrounding voting, from gerrymandering to attempts at undermining a result. The closing track, (Say Goodbye To) Sophie Scholl, pays tribute to the student activist executed by the Nazis for her role in the White Rose non-violent resistance group.
Turn It Up and Pure Desire cater to the band’s lively side by delivering lick after lick, meanwhile, and Rank and File will likely induce a few fist pumps. This is a band who refuse to be pigeonholed and the result is an eclectic and well executed record that only gets better with repeat spins.
Sheer Mag Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Thu July 20 2017 - LONDON Islington Assembly Hall
Fri July 21 2017 - SHEFFIELD Lughole
Sat July 22 2017 - GLASGOW Mono
Sun July 23 2017 - MANCHESTER Deaf Institute
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