BANDCAMP: https://shofar.bandcamp.com/releases
BROADJAM: http://www.broadjam.com/shofar
Written
by Pamela Bellmore, posted by blog admin
Led
by lead singer and songwriter Larry Hagner, this Minneapolis based quintet
mixes classic guitar rock elements with indie daring to produce a top notch
sophomore release. The band definitely has a message they want to get over with
listeners, but they never labor their beliefs in such a way that it dampens
listener’s enthusiasm for the material’s entertainment value. The balance
between musical and personal strengths make the six songs on their self-titled
EP stand outs in an increasingly cookie cutter musical world. It marks a long
delayed return to the recording ranks for Larry Hagner’s creative vision that
drove two earlier releases from the band in the early 2000’s. There’s a
freshness surrounding the songs that sounds like a rejuvenated outfit, but it’s
the same level of inspired creativity defining their earlier releases and
updated with a modern sheen.
“Running”
begins the self-titled EP with surprising fierceness. The arrangement mixes
bulldozer strong guitar riffs with leaner, lightly melodic verses for great
effect and Hagner’s vocals mix well with the musical landscape. The guitar
sound is warm, yet aggressive and gives some added gravitas to Hagner’s emotive
vocal tone. There’s an almost electrified, Byrds-like folky vibe during the
verses of “Powerman” interspersed with some boisterous rock flourishes and authoritative
drumming. There’s a wider vocal attack on this song than we heard with the EP’s
opener and it makes for a lighter, more melodic listen. Shofar maintains a similar
groove on the third song “Shades of Grey” and positions themselves as much more
reliant than before on vocal harmonies. The decision gives a bright, bouncing
quality to the track while still never pulling it far from its guitar rock
foundation. The EP’s second and third songs are, easily, its most commercial
moments and bubble over with the sort of musical creativity we’d expect from
this band.
“Hands
Down” demonstrates the songwriting’s penchant for drawing characters without
ever overworking the lyrics and diluting their impact. The chorus for this song
is particularly effective thanks to a spot on vocal that scales just the right
emotional response for the material while bringing backing vocals more into
play as the song progresses. The apocalyptic conceit driving the songwriting
for “Countdown” receives an artfully understated musical accompaniment that
only truly erupts for a brief, blistering guitar solo. There’s more melodic
touches coloring this tune – most vividly reflected in the addition of
glittering piano runs to the composition. Shofar ends their self-titled EP on a
surprisingly poetic note with a thoughtful, carefully constructed closer
entitled “The Coming”. Rarely have you heard a songwriter, vocalist, and band
explore spirituality in the way Hagner and Shofar do with this last curtain. The muted bulk of the tune gives way to some
crashing guitar and thunderous drum work in the second half, but these passages
are brief and never overwrought. Shofar has returned in a big way and it’s
apparent that the interval between 2005’s Turn and this release has done
nothing to dull their inventiveness.
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