These Canucks, on record at least, are anything but shy. Oh, by the way, which one’s Harry? All poking aside, though, Shy Harry seems to really have honed a pure rock sound which brings to mind garage rock from the 60s, such as The New York Dolls, 90s grungers such as Alice in Chains, and even some early Maroon 5. The vocals give one a strong sense that these guys may have listened to other Canadian rock luminaries growing up, such as Nickelback and April Wine.
Their latest song “Another Year,” which is also the name of their new ep, has the sickest guitar+keyboard tone I’ve heard in a very long time. Shy Harry‘s keyboard player is blowing his blues/rock Hammond line through a proper Leslie speaker, which can be especially heard in the sustained chord which brings the track to a gentle close. He’s accompanying the group’s one and only guitarist, who’s working extra hard to deliver both the driving rhythm part and the sweet melodic lead. What a sound this duo has achieved here!
I will say, the bass is a tad busy here for my own preference, but then again, the great John Paul Jones was known for having some busy lines with Zeppelin, so we can give our guy some license to play out. Drums are tight and economical, giving “Another Year” the solid backbone it needs to keep things on an even keel throughout the track. My one grievance is with the low end in the mix of the tune, which I just really wish was a bit more pronounced. The guys are working hard to keep things punchy, but the engineer on this really needed to accentuate that more in the mix.
Essentially, any fan of simple, driving, feel-good classic rock won’t be disappointed with the boys’ latest single, “Another Year.” And honestly, God damn you Covid, I would rather be outside on a hill listening to these guys live with a cold beverage in my hand than sitting at home making every fucking thing I touch sanitary! Shy Harry, check them out…
