Review Summary: Shy Child has a lot going for them, and it is evident in some of the better songs on the album, all the need now is to cut the ones that will bore you to death.
Shy Child offers something to its listeners that not many artists in today’s music scene can boast, a breath of fresh air. Shy Child is like nothing I have listened to before and I guarantee when you hear some of their upbeat tracks you will not be able to hold still. It’s so uplifting and catchy, the beats grab hold of you forcing your body into rhythm. When a friend of mine first introduced me to them it was some time ago before they had even released their debut album. I would listen to the singles “The Noise Won’t Stop” and “Drop The Phone” over and over again, I could not get enough. However, when the album was finally released and I gave it a listen I discovered to my surprise that I could enough, and although they do have some very catchy tracks the album as a whole seems a bit lackluster for my expectations.
Shy Child consists of only two people: Pete Cafarella on vocals and keytar and, Nate Smith on drums……and that’s it. This at first seemed amazing to me. When you listen to Shy Childs singles there seems to be so much happening. Plus watching Cafarella rock out on his keytar has so much more style and entertainment value then watching someone play a regular synth. This is what roped me into the bad at first, the idea of a keytarist and a drummer playing together just seemed wild and completely new. Where most bands would opt for a drum machine they have gone and merged rockn’roll style drum execution with the electronic/hip-hop sounds of the keytar. It really, truly is a brilliant idea but, it also seems like the bands downfall as well. Some of the songs leave you with this feeling as if they are missing something, some crucial component to pull the song together. I’ll break down the tracks to illustrate my point.
The album opens up with “Drop the Phone”, and they could not have chosen a better song to open with, it’s what Shy Child is all about. One of the better songs on the album, the drum beats are intense and fit the wild and charismatic playing of the keytar. The whole song flows together seamlessly and really urges you to get up and dance. It really shows what the band is capable of.
Next up is “Pressure to Come” which is nothing like the Electro/Rock of the “Drop the Phone”. It’s very hip-hop. The drum beat is stale and continuous throughout the entire song, as is the keytar. Cafarellas voice whines in a monotone, which is usually in good contrast to wild tunes he is singing to but, with a very linear song it just strikes the listener as plain boring.
“Kick Drum” is also very hip-hop but, they do it very well. The keytar is so catchy and Cafarella really uses a good vocal variety here. The drums complement the catchy hip/hop of the keytar, Smith sticks to rock style beat that drives the song forward. This is an instance where everything comes together superbly and you don’t feel as if anything is missing where as in “Pressure to Come” you just felt as though they could’ve done it so much better.
In “The Volume” we find ourselves once again in the same state as “Pressure to Come”, except worse. This song is the same throughout, it offers nothing new and holds the same rhythm throughout the whole song. It is extremely boring, and is another perfect example of “Shy Child” failing to meet expectations.
In the rest of the album, “Good and Evil”, “Summer”, and “What’s it Feel Like” put off the same vibes as “The Volume” and “Pressure to Come”. They’re not necessarily band songs but they can really get stale fast as there is nothing driving them. There is no force behind them as there are in Shy Childs better songs. “Generation Y” is very similar to kick drum in the fact that it’s very hip-hop but pulls it off oh so well. “Noise Won’t Stop” and “Cause and Effect” stick to the electronic feel and are both great songs. “Noise Won’t Stop” may seem kind of redundant at first but halfway through the song Cafarellas and Smith hit you with this instrumental bit that is nothing like the rest of the song and will awe the listener.
Now, I have left one song out of this rundown so far as I believe it deserves its own special place in the review. Do not listen to “Astronaut” while walking down the street or you will probably accumulate a large amount of bugs in your mouth due to the fact that your jaw will be on the pavement. There is so much power in this song, Cafarellas is at the top of his game as he propels this song forward with hard driving rhythms as Smith follows suit in a rocking drum beat. The instruments blast forward as both Cafarellas and Smith sing along. And if all this isn’t enough for you Cafarellas plays a keytar solo that will bring you to tears. It is, in my opinion, the greatest song on their track list hid snugly in the middle of the line-up. It is truly a diamond in the rough.
Shy Child Brings a lot to the table and when they fly, they soar. They really just need to now focus on bringing all their songs together like they have in “Astronaut” and “Drop the Phone”. It’s a really good listen and it’s something for all of you out there looking for something new to listen to. Shy Child really has some amazing stuff going for them here. It’s almost enough to make up for their boorish songs……..almost
3.5/5
