Hello Reader,
Welcome back. How are you today?
Today we’re going to delve into the band by the name of Naked Giants. The Seattle trio consisting of vocalist/guitarist Grant Mullen, bassist/vocalist Gianni Aiello, and drummer Henry LaVallee formed in 2014 when all three members were 18. A couple of years later the rock music band released their debut, the lo-fi R.I.P. EP in 2016. Their debut full-length album came in 2018, with SLUFF, followed a year later by another collection of songs, Green Fuzz EP in 2019. The next year saw the band release The Shadow. In 2018 and 2019, the Naked Giants went on tour with the fantastic Will Toledo project, Car Seat Headrest. They performed their own songs and served as his touring band.
Reflecting on their past, via the album’s press release, Mullen said, “Our first record was still running on fuel from starting the band as 18-year-olds with a rock’n’roll dream. Since then, life has changed. We all got day jobs or went back to school, and really grew into ourselves individually. Before, we were anxious to express ourselves in whatever way we could through music. Now, we have more to say, and I think we’ve made a record with more meaning and purpose.”
And Aiello followed up with, “I’ve realized that being an effective communicator is such an important part of being a musician. We’re carrying the typical garage-rock ‘throw it at the wall and see what sticks’ ethos with us to this new phase of life. This time around, there’s room in the music (and in ourselves) not only for the young raucous kids we used to be, but also for the fully emotional people we’re becoming – people with hearts that love and break and ache and all that kind of stuff.”
Later on, Aiello compared this album and the last via the album’s press release saying, “With The Shadow, we started having to deal with our real-world problems—addiction, trauma, mental health—and at that point we really questioned why we were doing this at all. We were channeling all our anxieties about the world and our lives into this thing. But Shine Away is the turning of the cog again. We’ve come back to making music that speaks to our hearts, and we’re doing it for the joy of it. We’ve come to trust that following and nurturing that joy makes room for others to participate and find themselves as well. And I think that’s what Shine Away ultimately means—you’ve got to turn your light on so that it might reach someone else’s.”
The band’s newest album, Shine Away is out via Devil Duck Records on Friday, October 4th for your listening pleasure.
Giving credit where it’s due. The listed Shine Away album credits:
- vocals, guitars: Grant Mullen
- bassist, vocals: Gianni Aiello
- drummer, vocals: Henry LaVallee
- Produced by Naked Giants and Dylan Wall
- Engineered by Dylan Wall
- Mixed by Trevor Spencer
- Mastered by Ed Brooks
And now for some hype for your eyes and ears!
The video for the opening song, “Apartment 3”:
(All credits and rights to Naked Giants)
The official visualizer video for the song “Bad Guys Win”:
(All credits and rights to Naked Giants)
The lighthouse setting in the video for the song, “Did I Just Die”:
(All credits and rights to Naked Giants)
Overall, Shine Away is another step forward for the band. All of these songs are catchy as hell. Try not to sing along or groove to the beat. Impossible. The songwriting has improved since their last album, perhaps reflective of life experience as the band alluded to earlier. In addition to wisdom and reflection, there are plenty of earworms too. The melodies will take you on a wonderful journey as there’s a lot of skilled musicianship from Mullen, Aiello, and LaVallee. You will also hear excellent composition choices throughout this album. As with previous Naked Giants albums, they show off their influences and music knowledge and appreciation. While listening you’ll be reminded you of past melodies and may be transported to those eras, yet the melodies still remain Naked Giants compositions. The band is skilled at what they’re doing. The variation of sound and vocal deliveries that match said sounds on each song is lovely. I wouldn’t say this is a negative to me since it’s not a concept album, but the album doesn’t flow exceptionally well from song to song throughout the album. That being said the flow is definitely not jarring or abrasive to the listener though. There’s good production and sound on this album as well.
The opening song on this album, “Apartment 3” starts off with some great guitar and drum work. Back and forth for the first 15 seconds or so before vocals take full effect. There are some quick but nice guitar and drum solos later into the song. The refrain on “Apartment 3” is one of the catchiest on the album. It’s quite difficult to move onto the next song without this earworm in your head. Kudos to the band.
“Missed Out” tells a tale of a failed relationship through the lens of time and a bit of contempt. The melody is a solid one; guitar and drums reminiscent to my ears of mid 90s indie acts. This melody works perfectly to allow both the lead vocalist and the choral vocals to shine when they chime in to memorable effect.
If you like the awesome alternative rock band Everclear and honestly who didn’t love Art Alexakis’ vocals, songwriting especially in the mid to late 90’s, you’ll “Bad Guys Win”. If you haven’t listened to them in a while, do so after finishing this review. The vocal intro transports me to that 90’s era Everclear and the feelings remain throughout, subsiding a bit as the lyrics tell a Naked Giants tale. The bass groove to kick off the song, is gorgeous and a great way to lead in.
The next song, “Half Full Cups” comes in strong with another strong melody complete with jangly guitar and aggressive chords that slows down later. This melody is more on the modern indie/alternative side of sound than the previous one. The vocals delivered with angst and powerful inflection truly stand out. The lyrics are weary, and they match perfectly with the sound.
“Dissolve” is the longest song on the album and thank you Naked Giants for that. It’s a fantastic piece of art. The sound effects make you feel relaxed and like you’re dissolving. The guitars and drums fit in and carry the melody forward well. The melody has movements and shifts and all sound incredible to me. There is a jam session or two as well. The lyrics are contemplative.
The lyrics in “Oh Michael” are multifaceted in that they cover by the titular characters woes, vices and Mullen’s as well. They show appreciation to be in the situation they are both in now. The guitars and the pounding piano really anchor this melody. The drums round it the sound, matching the piano at times. The guitars are let loose on display for some fantastic solos the listener will love.
“Did I Just Die” opens with some guitar strumming creating a great foundation for the vocals. Then the drums kick in with authority and the guitars quieten while the drums get their moment in the spotlight before they quiet and the guitar gets its moment followed by some piano to round out the melody. The screamed vocals join in now and it’s a powerful, memorable touch to the song that occurs before a wall of sound moment before the song fades away slowly allowing the listener to not only catch their breath but also contemplate what they just experienced. This song? Probably fantastic to witness live.
The opening to “Case of The Bastards” reminds me of Japandroids. Reader, make your own comparison if needed. It’s a great start, a fairly blistering pace. Guitars driving forward along with charging drums. The ambience the band creates is electrifying and up tempo throughout this song. As I listened, I was visualizing hearing it live and enjoying every moment of that melody.
“Shine Away” gives the album title a good name. It’s perhaps the best song on the album and one I think most listeners will love. It’s got a lot going for it. Straightforward vocals and lyrics, a catchy melody of drums, guitars and great earworm worthy choruses. You may be transplanted to different eras while listening to this song, or at least certain parts of it.
Shine Away gets 4 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. I do think it’s their best album so far. I think the time away made the band’s songwriting and composition even better. Kudos. I’m looking forward to what lies next for the band. For a more specific rating within the 4 Scum Drop range, I’d say the upper portion of it. So 80th-83rd percentile of all 2024 releases. More specific than that? 80th-81st. The album is worth adding to your collection on the format of your choice.
Shine Away Track listing (song length)
- Apartment 3 (3:16)
- Missed Out (3:28)
- Bad Guys Win (2:41)
- Half Full Cups (3:49)
- Dissolve (5:13)
- Oh Michael (2:49)
- Did I Just Die (3:14)
- Case of The Bastards (4:28)
- Shine Away (4:05)
Total runtime: 34:03
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. That process with Shine Away from start to finish will take you just over an hour worth of time. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After a few listens on my own, the songs that are highlighted in green font above are my favorite songs on this album.
The band’s lovely site has everything you need to get started, music, a store, tour info, and socials in the upper right-hand corner.
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site: scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions!
Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
