Shade--Forever

Pittsburgh shoegazers Shade are rising fast. Following the success of their first UK single "Keep Them Shouting" released earlier this year, Shade is putting out their new 7" single "Forever."

"Forever" is an interesting song. The song centers around a chorus that pulls back everything except a subtle bass-line. The lyrics are uninteresting as a whole, "Forever, forever / Forever my friend / Forever, forever, forever." The instrumentals are fantastic however. Out of the chorus drives a quick little drum intro that shows enough maturity to add the flair, but hold back and not make it obnoxious. Dual guitars chase each other up and down with quick Sonic Youth-like riffs that by all rights should be more like a sonic mess. Instead, the ear wanders from one part to another, with the varying part only filling interesting background. The result is an interesting and exhilarating song, backed by dance-beat bass, that one finds hard to sit still to. Leave this one on repeat.

Moving on to the B-Side, "You Are The Racer" provides creepy keyboards and a bit more lyrical depth. Comparisons have been made to The Doors and they are not far off. The keyboard is the lead instrument in this song, which is an interesting change. The riff is eerie, and when coupled with the slightly raspy voice of vocalist Matthew Stuart the song carries a feeling of uneasiness. "You Are The Racer" is less-exciting than "Forever" but just as good, and perhaps more mature because of the feeling it conveys through unconventional instruments and a greater depth of vocal ability.

Shade has done more with two songs than some bands do with an entire album. They’ve shown musical maturity, talented playing ability, and potential for the future. If you can’t get your hands on this UK single, check out some of their older stuff at their website (http://www.shaderocks.com/).

(Published at ComfortComes.com)