Shadow In The Cracks is the side-project of Mike and Jim Blaha of the Blind Shakes. That being said, the two bands sound almost indistinguishable. With a wall of noisy guitar and a vibrant sound from deep within, this is not a bad thing. Kicking off with a solid bass riff, “Timeless” is accompanied with a rhythm that every few seconds warrants the special pluck of a riff and then dissolves back into that rolling beat. Then it carries onward throughout the heft of the album, occasionally blanketed by the anthemic blanket of garage treble in tracks like “Penguin’s Blood.”
As you get thrown into the rest of the album, there is a very pervasive feeling of late-night drag with songs like “Elephant Seal” that begin to slow the rhythm down substantially but still revolve a heavy thump. Tapping speakers into submission, it is a shame that the guitar is left so muffled and loud as some truly excellent surf bits leave that spooky, wild West Coast Dracula to feel so emphasized. This is especially apparent as the album winds down into psychedelic numbers like the title track “Shadow in the Cracks,” and “Ships Roll In.”
Shadow In The Cracks feels like a very solid album. It is something that can easily compete with any other band the Blaha’s hop into. If the garage surf rock spiel isn’t necessarily your tone, it remains an enjoyable albeit a little monotonous. However, if it’s the sound of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Blind Shake or maybe even Spaceman 3 that you’re looking for, there is something here that will resonate well with you.
Recommended if you like: Wire, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Blind Shake, Spaceman 3
Recommended Tracks: 1 (Timeless), 3 (Planting Flowers), 8 (Shadow in the Cracks)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Dylan Fox on 11/20/15