Shyyne

West Midlands based Shyyne release their new album ‘Go Your Own Way’ on Saturday 4thApril, care of WDFD Records. Don’t be switched by the album title to Fleetwood Mac, because this 4-piece outfit are unashamedly bringing their brand of 80’s sleaze Rock from the Californian coast to streets of the UK! Think Skid Row, Van Halen and Motley Crue for easy reference.

The band features singer Toni Gale, formerly of Surrender and Rezist, who is very much in the Vince Neil mould, and along with ex-Roulette guitarist Mark Wilkins, they formed the band back in 2015. The rhythm section of Matt Freeman on bass guitar and Richie Bevan on the drums complements their current line-up. The bands philosophy is good songs and fun times - so lets see and press play!

Opening up, ‘Say Goodbye’ races down the tracks with speed and ample riffing in all the right places. The first of one of my many favourite songs in this collection, with its Van Halen style of vocal harmonies, is ‘Movin On’, which is both very hooky and instantly memorable from the first listen through. ‘Feelin Fine’ works along the same line of the previous track with hints of the North East’s Tygers Of Pan Tang style of Rock rhythm.

‘Broken Down Girl’ is a clever little rocker with breakdown sections ideally set for masses of scantily clad ladies joining in (Oh, that was the 80’s!), followed by the title track, which drops in at No.5 for the sunset strip sleaze crowd, with its catchy chorus line and riff laden delivery. However, it’s the songs next up, ‘Show Me’ and ‘Take Me Down’, that represent the top numbers for me on this twelve song outing and define the bands quality.

Following up with ‘State Of Mind’, ‘Shut Up’ and, close to making my top three, ‘Aint A Crime’, roll steadily along the M6 before ‘Friday Nite’, in at No.11. The pace finally drops with the David Lee Roth kind of Blues styled closing track (think ‘Little Ain’t Enough’ album) in the form of ‘Song For The Broken Hearted’. In summary, not only a perfect player for that motorway drive, but also when this dreaded virus curfew is lifted, make sure you get along to see their show.

Geoff C.