"Pigs, sexist pigs! You can all fuck off! You'll regret reducing me and my comrades to pathetic superficialities!" Anyone at home with a woman who skillfully answers the question "Am I too fat?" with "Oh, those few extra pounds look really good on you!" will surely find this quote familiar. Serves you right, I say!
For my part, I like women. That may have something to do with hormones, but if they're otherwise okay, there could be even more reasons. I'm really curious to see if "Shellycoat" can win me over as a music sympathizer with "Hours Left To Stay Awake".
Before the obvious questions come up again: Yes, there is a woman in the punk rock band from Hamburg, namely on the microphone. That already makes the musicians a bit more attractive and interesting, since the scene is flooded with male representatives and a woman thus stands out more.
The songs drone from the speakers at a medium to fast tempo, and I try to grasp the Hamburgers in terms of words. At this point, I also notice that "drone" fits immensely well. Even if the first few minutes between us (meaning me and the band) aren't necessarily bad, they are somehow sobering. Only from the fourth song "Never Giving Up" does my attention begin to grow. Although it sounds—like the three songs before it—well-produced and mixed, now a bit of "character" comes into play. You can tell that the heart of the record is starting to beat a little, making you tap your foot. It starts off mediocre but gradually becomes more interesting.
The tension continues to build: "Hackpfüffel" (which is a district of the municipality "Brücken-Hackpfüffel", in case anyone is interested) may sound strange, but it is still one of my top favorites on "Hours Left To Stay Awake". Whether it's a good sign for the album or not that this is an instrumental track is something to discuss interpersonally. The fact for me, however, is that it makes a strong atmospheric impact thanks to the wonderfully played guitar and also flows nicely into the song "Broken Chord", which is a bit harder than the rest and begins to further captivate my attention. Unfortunately, the SM game of the song slacks off a bit because the hardness and depth start to flatten again after the first few seconds. Too bad, the voice doesn't keep up with the background and leaves me with mixed feelings. Because the instruments are really cleanly played. Everything seems somehow harmonious, but there's a bit of a lack of "spice" that gives the songs the necessary "kick"...
Now I know! I've had some bands in my head the whole time that I want to associate with "Shellycoat". Exactly, especially with "What's Inside" I think of "Jingo De Lunch" and the "Guano Apes". I find this association quite beautiful and I'm not disappointed otherwise either. The song earns a place on the list of songs that give me great pleasure, alongside "Cold Sailoer Grave". Above all, the choruses are often well done, as a second voice is used here and there. This fits well into the background and doesn't leave the somewhat high voice stranded between all the mean instruments.
Too bad: The ending is exactly like the beginning. Apart from a few nice musical interludes, the ending offers little spectacular, although "Every Single One Of You" brings a small change as a ballad. However, the great "recognition value" also remains absent here and the band relies on a real fan sitting in front of the speaker boxes. Otherwise, there's a risk that the songs won't be heard on the first run.
Lyically, unfortunately, I couldn't find out much, although it's still commendable that the band immortalized their lyrics on the CD "sleeve". I prefer little books, but at least it's better than nothing. Although I couldn't see everything in context when reading the lyrics (let alone explain it), I venture to say that the band has a nice style of laying out their feelings and experiences in English. That fits well because the lyrics—although partly written critically—are always strongly personally colored. Either they sing about themselves or they address the person opposite, creating a constant "I" feeling for the listener. Text fetishists feel at home and like to read along with the musical accompaniment. Nice!
In summary, it can be said that the CD by "Shellycoat" has its ups and downs. That may exist with every CD and we somehow always use that phrase, but this time it's really true. Before you can even realize how you feel about the record, the next song is already playing and throws your previous thoughts into disarray again. It's a shame that the band has a mediocre beginning and also slacks off a bit at the end. In contrast, however, there is a firm and great foundation in the "middle" with grandiose musical accompaniment and a voice that bears certain similarities to the aforementioned bands.
Since I somewhat value "Jingo De Lunch" and "Guano Apes", I still managed to muster 7 points, as a nostalgia bonus can always score big points with me. It is all the more important at this point to consciously realize that one deducts this bonus from the rating if one associates little to nothing with these bands. Anyone who even has antipathy left may go even lower.
On Myspace and on the homepage, however, there is something for the ears, so you can get a good picture of the Hanseatics before buying (or illegal downloading). So: listen, decide, and act!
Oh yeah, anyone who wants to brag with useless knowledge a bit: "Shellycoat" is the name of a Scottish water spirit that brings unsuspecting hikers a wet (of course wet, I'd cry too if I had to die!) death. Fortunately, this album spares us such a fate. Hurray!
