It takes some heavy mettle to name your band Shangrala, but the ambitious sound of their album This Is How We Communicate stands up. Ok, maybe not quintessential, idyllic beauty or auditory bliss at every turn, but it's certainly not afraid to try. Shangrala takes natural extensions of math rock sensibility pulling from the intertwining architecture of bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Minus the Bear and saturates them with big, anthemic sounds and hooks in the mold of U2 and The Cure.
"Time" is not all that representative of the heavier sound that effectively incorporates the stop - start and quiet - loud dynamic throughout the rest of the album. Nevertheless, it shows the great flexibility that Shangrala can muster at will. It's an acoustic track that efficaciously displays the songwriting depth and range that this band has: an ability to appeal to everyone from the most discerning, sub-genre critics to the kids that want something to raise their arm about at local live music venues.
"Time" is not all that representative of the heavier sound that effectively incorporates the stop - start and quiet - loud dynamic throughout the rest of the album. Nevertheless, it shows the great flexibility that Shangrala can muster at will. It's an acoustic track that efficaciously displays the songwriting depth and range that this band has: an ability to appeal to everyone from the most discerning, sub-genre critics to the kids that want something to raise their arm about at local live music venues.
Song Breakdown
Best Place and Time for Listen:
A spacious, but cozy porch with a handful of your closest friends. One of those gatherings where countless hours go by and you don't notice.
If This Song Was a Celebrity It Would Be:
Natalie Portman, but at the Beautiful Girls stage.
Visit Shangrala at one of their Web homes http://www.theshanggang.com/ or myspace.com/shangrala to find out about merchandise, get show dates and find out more about their upcoming new album.
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