Shell of a Shell
Away Team


4.0
excellent

Review

by Sowing STAFF
February 28th, 2020 | 91 replies


Release Date: 2020 | Tracklist

Review Summary: The point of intersection between beauty and madness

In an era of unlimited access to even the most obscure indie-rock bands, it’s a great time to be both an artist and a listener. It was through some pretty random browsing that I discovered Shell of a Shell and immediately fell in love with the way they were able to encapsulate everything that I enjoy about the genre without sounding quite like anything I’ve ever heard before. That’s a good space to occupy – Shell of a Shell are warm, intimate, and mesmerizing; they’re also raucous, unpredictable, and boast some of the most wickedly exhilarating guitar work you’ll hear. They lull you into a false sense of security and then obliterate you. It’s exactly what you want from an underground Nashville indie-rock band that has everything to prove and nothing to lose.

The thing is, Away Team proves everything. ‘My Wildfire’ immediately showcases the band’s bread-and-butter mathy dissonance before ‘Knock’ turns the album on its side with an unexpected tempo shift/transition into the catchiest percussive breakdown which also has gnarly riffs interwoven like barbed wire. Right when you think that lead vocalist Chappy Hull might be a talented vocalist who merely blends into the music, he lets everything rip on ‘Fill in the Blank’ – a lush-gem-turned-fiery where the latter verses are all shouted or half screamed – bringing some much needed passion and intensity to Away Team’s make-up. That emphatic, proclamatory vocal style makes several returns across the remainder of the album, helping distinguish Shell of a Shell from similar and equally talented contemporaries such as ITEM.

While Away Team still knows how to shimmer, as evidenced by the glossy guitars of the opener ‘Funny’ and mid-album gem ‘Find Me a Field’, the record is primarily immersed in wiry, meandering lo-fi song structures with dynamic directional changes and emotionally explosive peaks. These pinnacles aren’t just vocal by nature; this is a guitar-driven experience and the most significant cruxes of the album come by way of murky, complex breakdowns that are as mesmerizing as they are disorienting. ‘Forgetting Symptom’ is a perfect example of how Shell of a Shell blend their two greatest strengths together, using a tradeoff between Hull’s coarse shouts and complicated, distorted riffs to unleash a sort of urgency and discomfort that few bands are capable of. When they purposely accent such chaos with riffs as deliberately infectious as what follows on ‘Away Team’, it almost feels like there’s no limit to Shell of a Shell’s scope of sounds.

Away Team isn’t content to leave us with a batch of short, punchy indie-rock tunes. Its pair of closers are veritable twin towers; ‘Don’t Expect’ and ‘Seems Like’ are eight-and-a-half and ten minutes respectively, and each song ushers the album to an epic conclusion. ‘Don’t Expect’ commences with slow dissonant chords, but eventually weaves its way through soft, reflective pools of ambient electric guitar before ramping up the percussion to once again make way for Hull’s impassioned screams. ‘Seems Like’ ties the entire experience together, replete with sinister atmospheric undertones, high-pitched wailing guitars, Hull’s most electrifying shrieks, and even an all-out jam session inserted as a hidden track. It would be an understatement to say that Away Team gets better as it progresses; with these two epic indie-rockers, Shell of a Shell prove that they have a higher gear – and it’s exciting to think of them continuing to craft songs this lengthy, elaborate, and impactful in the future.

Shell of a Shell will put themselves on some radars with this debut. Away Team is one of those rare releases where the music is so strong that it muscles its way into the spotlight even without much name recognition surrounding the artist. Driven equally by beautiful indie-rock and aggressive, impulsive instrumentation, it’s an album overflowing with the sort of blind turns that keep listeners on the edges of their seats. Shell of a Shell waste no time putting it all on the line, and Away Team will immediately stamp them as an indie-rock act that’s quickly on the rise.



s
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user ratings (54)
3.5
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
Slex
February 28th 2020


17255 Comments


There's other albums I've loved more (which I guess I need to stop letting factor into my ratings but w/e) but this might be the best album I've heard so far this year

Gyromania
February 28th 2020


37468 Comments


that track you posted is pretty nutty

WatchItExplode
February 28th 2020


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Last few song rule and bumped this up for me.

Faraudo
February 28th 2020


4789 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Another pretty good Sowingcore album

Slex
February 28th 2020


17255 Comments


Not even trying to defend him or anything but this isñt remotely Sowingcore lol

Sowing
Moderator
February 28th 2020


44509 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I love obscure guitar driven indie-rock so in many ways this is right in my wheelhouse. Normally the stuff I like is more cleaned up and well-produced though, whereas this is sort of messier and almost mathy/emo.

WatchItExplode
February 28th 2020


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

The sloppy and eccentric guitar work here makes me think early Built To Spill. The last couple songs make me wonder what it would be like if these guys tried to make an album of elaborate long-form tunes like Perfect From Now On.



Also this does not fit with my definition of Sowing-core, which is music Sow champions that I don't like.

Sowing
Moderator
February 28th 2020


44509 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

"The last couple songs make me wonder what it would be like if these guys tried to make an album of elaborate long-form tunes like Perfect From Now On."

This would be a dream come true

Slex
February 28th 2020


17255 Comments


God yeah that would be unreal

Hear a lot of Yo La Tengo as well

Slex
February 28th 2020


17255 Comments


Also yeah this is a lot rawer/murkier than the usual Sowing stuff
And I resolutely love almost all Sowingcore lol

WatchItExplode
February 28th 2020


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Yeah the guitar indie lineage is there in plain sight. We might get that fabled album if this picks up enough steam. I wonder if Chappy will ditch Pile if it does.



And Sowing, it continues to impress and dishearten me that you can spit out a well-written, informative review in seemingly less time than it takes to listen to the album you're reviewing.

clavier
Emeritus
February 29th 2020


1206 Comments

Album Rating: 3.7

Blessed and Shell of a Shell are performing here in a month and i'm glad i listened to this now

Slex
February 29th 2020


17255 Comments


Holy shit what a show

WatchItExplode
February 29th 2020


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Dude you jumped. Guess you're the conductor of this train now.

Slex
February 29th 2020


17255 Comments


Haha yeah this is my AOTY right now

Sowing
Moderator
February 29th 2020


44509 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I woke up humming the guitar melody from the title track.

Ashtiel
February 29th 2020


1478 Comments


this band's fronted by Pile's current guitarist (Chappy Hull) and I'd recommend you check out their newest album if you loved this Sowing. I think the softer moments on it would be right up your alley. It's called Green and Gray.

Sowing
Moderator
February 29th 2020


44509 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Oh I listened and loved it last year and I'm aware of the shared band DNA. I wiped my ratings to start the new decade and forgot to re-rate Pile. Thanks for the reminder! And definitely let me know how you like this...I actually enjoyed it slightly more than Green and Gray!

FuzzyThoughts
March 1st 2020


114 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

WatchItExplode just got me into Pile a few weeks ago. Sounds like I definitely need to check this out. Great review, Sowing.

WatchItExplode
March 1st 2020


10516 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Haha sorry Sowing. We'll stop beating you about the head over Pile now.



You should like this Fuzzy. Less abrasive and more rockin'.



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