Silhouettes

After a few seconds of mysterious noise that sounds like distant waves crashing, Silhouettes, the debut album from Detroit trio Shadow Show, begins with a bassline a few notes removed from Taxman and a kaleidoscopic explosion of tremolo guitars and mod pop vocal harmonies. Its a strong start to an album that channels several different generations of both British pop and Detroit rock without ever directly mimicking any specific influences. Vocalist/guitarists Ava Easts haunted guitar tones on songs like The Machine find the middle ground between pensive, late-night loner jams from Fred Smiths Sonics Rendezvous Band and the sinister energy of Primal Scream. The slide guitar riffing of Glass Eye offers a far more psychedelic reading of Detroits ongoing fixation with the blues. Shadow Shows songs call on familiar elements -- layered vocal harmonies, the occasional driving punky bassline, melodies laced with garage rock attitude -- but song structures take unexpected turns. Rarely moving from verse to chorus and back, Shadow Show instead maps out strange navigations for their songs. New riffs are introduced mid-song, a wildly catchy part shows up out of nowhere and is never repeated. These unpredictable moves keep the album interesting and add to the air of mystery Shadow Show spends much of the album establishing. Production from bassist Kate Derringer is wonderfully raw, conveying power and presence while keeping the mixes sharp. The distant perspectives and strange sonic shifts of Silhouettes keep both the band and listeners actively engaged, leaving the album with the feeling that youve just wandered all night through some weird dream. ~ Fred Thomas