The Shore
Maverick

I've always come under the assumption that if Pink Floyd never released 'Dark Side of the Moon' and if Gram Parsons never met his Grievous Angel, then the sounds we now know as Shoegazer, Dream Pop, Space Rock, etc. would probably never exist.

With that in mind, every musical generation has its album that fits that sound. Most notably, in the 90s era when Britpop ruled the world, The Verve were the leaders of the pack as they took that style and brought it to stadiums around the world. Now, while some may think that sounding like a previously-existing band may be derivative or plain old copying, when you take that familiar sound and bring it to a different level, its cool. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to the new torchbearers - The Shore.

The Shore's self-titled debut opens with the lonely desert twang of 'Hard Road' where singer/guitarist Ben Ashley reflects how "I've been chasin' you down, waiting for something to burn. I've been lost now I'm found, sailin' the tide to your heart." The song's slide guitar, echoing lyrics and string section should easily bring back the listener to the times when they first heard Pink Floyd, Big Star and The Verve.

The somber atmosphere continues through the falsetto chorus of 'Firefly' and the orchestral sway of 'Take Whats Mine'. The LA band (by way of Silverlake) brings the listener to a musical depth that's rivaled by their past heroes, except the Americana stylings can uniquely keep them separate from the former sounds that influenced them.

Most of the songs on the album follow the formula of an introspective, dreamy atmosphere, and its refreshing to hear this style of music again. Some mid-tempo rockers in the mix like ' Everything we Are' and 'Coming Down' also bring a good quality pop feel while keeping the layers of twang and echo in place. All 10 tracks are not afraid to display the band's talent for good songwriting, beautiful melodies and tight talent.

So while The Shore's debut release may sound like something you've already heard, it's refreshing to find the right influences that haven't been tapped with refreshing results. A clever, solid and honest rock album with big songs like this comes only a few times in a year.