22 Nov 2024
Shady Brain Farm - Album Review: 19 Years In The Same House
05 Jun 2018 // A review by Andrew Smit
A most wonderful
album full of songs laden with a unique and funky mix of rock and blues.
Opening with a most funky bass line, Get Up Get Down pumps up the vibe and demands
that you do indeed get up and get down, such is the energy and feeling it generates.
The rock sound on Victim of your System is a bit of Neil Young meets Primus, and it rolls along very well, with cool lead vocals from Guitarist Ben Furniss, and fine backing vocals from Drummer Paul Taylor
and bassist Chris Vaughan.
A most wonderful
album full of songs laden with a unique and funky mix of rock and blues.
Opening with a most funky bass line, Get Up Get Down pumps up the vibe and demands
that you do indeed get up and get down, such is the energy and feeling it generates.
The rock sound on Victim of your System is a bit of Neil Young meets Primus, and it rolls along very well, with cool lead vocals from Guitarist Ben Furniss, and fine backing vocals from Drummer Paul Taylor
and bassist Chris Vaughan.Balsa Bird has
some smooth vocal harmonies that mix well with the cool low guitar riff. I
enjoyed listening to Is Anyone Listening with its psychedelic flange effect
on the vocal which adds an extra dimension to the sound. There is more good use
of the flange to great effect on the guitar riffs in Crack of the Snare and Southern Sea.
A real delight is You’ll Find Me Under 411 with snappy guitar strums that are a perfect addition to one
of the best funk bass and drum arrangements I have heard in a while. The same
cool formula is used in the tracks The Signal and Youth both with tight
bass lines from Chris that are held together brilliantly by the steadfast Drums
from Paul. Ben displays his vocal tones very well on the dreamy Mexican Girl with a stirring guitar solo from Ben to boot.
Overall the album has great charm and appeal, the song arrangements are easy to listen to, but also diverse enough to be stimulating, which keeps you interested. The songs have cool subject matter too, that make you ponder their inspiration. As a band Shady Brain Farm harvest a funky rock sound that’s full of grit, its raw and real, and this their third release is very worthy of a spin.
Review written by Andrew Smit
About Shady Brain Farm
all members living in the Norwest Auckland area of Kumeu, Waimauku and Muriwai beach
the music they make reflecting this West Coast beach vibe.
Ben Furniss - Main Vocals, Guitar & Keyboards has been in many Auckland bands over the years including The Broken Heartbreakers, Superturtle, White Swan Black Swan and Surrealistic, has a nice home studio in a barn on his farm in Kumeu where they do their recordings, (recent Galveston Demo Recordings were done there), and record local up and coming bands (this area seems to be saturated with talent coming out of Kaipara College).
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Shady Brain Farm
Releases
Other Reviews By Andrew Smit
Album Review: 1 Drop Nation
20 Dec 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Opening with a very spiritual Maori haka Intro - Waerea, we were introduced to the opening track Homeland, which is an unashamedly patriotic Aotearoa anthem with repeated strains of "We are one nation". This is a track that proudly declares love for home, while also being a rally call for the future.
Read More...
Tahini Bikini - Album Review: Fever Dream
15 Nov 2022 // by Andrew Smit
An album full of very danceable funk tunes, loaded with tight guitar, bass, brass and percussion that provide a perfect foundation for the expressive soulful vocals of Madeline Lucy Taylor. Her unique clarity is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse or our own Kiwi songstress Gin Wigmore.
Read More...
Haze Lane - Single/Video Review: Natural Feeling
22 Aug 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Matching the songs title very aptly South Auckland indie band Haze Lane has produced Natural Feeling, a very organic song that does indeed deliver a very smooth natural feeling. The ultra-cool ambient sound is reminiscent to the early roots sound of Six60 and L.
Read More...
Gig Review: Anthonie Tonnon @ Hollywood Cinema, Auckland - 14/05/2022
16 May 2022 // by Andrew Smit
On a coolish Saturday evening it was great to see a rather large crowd that clearly were so happy and eager to experience a night of live music, and what a perfect venue to stage it at the slightly musty but still majestic Hollywood Cinema in Avondale. Opening the proceedings was the cool 4 piece band Lips with their ambient 80’s groove thanks to the techno synth sounds from keyboardist and singer Steph Brown.
Read More...
Vogel Town - Single Review: Sludge City
24 Apr 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Interestingly Vogel Town's new song Sludge City begins with an automated telephone voice, and then a street argument which is soon accompanied by a very groovy walking bass line, quickly growing from just a couple of notes to a broad melody of its own. At first the only addition is some nice, nonchalant drum fills, but as the background street noise fades away, the introduction of vibrant reverberating guitar strums adds a final element that completes the ensemble perfectly, and altogether this provides a very cool bluesy vibe.
Read More...
SKRAM - Single Review: Living Our Lives
22 Mar 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Beginning with some straightforward but quite funky keys your soon steered to a very upbeat and chunky ensemble of music that energetically drives along with its super groovy reggae vibe. SKRAM are a very high energy 3-piece pop group that have delivered a fine tune that embodies their claim of “energetic” perfectly.
Read More...
Tomorrow People - Album Review: 21
02 Jan 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Tomorrow People have produced a wonderful assemblage of uplifting reggae tunes that are performed and sung with heart and purpose. All 16 tracks are packed with brilliant harmonies that are propelled along by the glorious uplifting off beat rhythmic delight that reggae music delivers so well.
Read More...
Torn Chorus - Single/Video Review: This City Floats
10 Sep 2021 // by Andrew Smit
From a simple opening beat to a wonderful flourish of acoustic guitars layered with luscious chorus and flange effects, the new single from Torn Chorus, This City Floats, is brought to life with wailing electric lead guitar licks and slides that sound melodically precise and emotive. Crisp vocals tell you about the labour and reward that you get for following the beaten path to the top, which as the video shows so well, is Auckland’s remnant volcanic cones, but the metaphor could be used for any journey in life.
Read More...
Most Viewed Artists
Latest Galleries
NZ Top 10 Singles
- APT.
ROSÉ And Bruno Mars - DIE WITH A SMILE
Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Billie Eilish - TASTE
Sabrina Carpenter - I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
Gracie Abrams - ESPRESSO
Sabrina Carpenter - SAILOR SONG
Gigi Perez - LOSE CONTROL
Teddy Swims - A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
Shaboozey - GOOD LUCK, BABE!
Chappell Roan
More Content on muzic.net.nz
Google Site Search
Custom Search
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report A Problem
