each month, i’ll highlight an album from CT that particularly resonated with me. the album of the month is a release that deserve’s your ear’s attention.
the month of may was a veritable bumper crop of good music. CT Scramble has compiled a shortlist of some of the releases that stuck out in a crowded field.
former is an album that’s been a long time coming. SHY has been a regular presence in new haven, performing in a number of different spaces with a number of different bands. before i had heard SHY’s music, i had heard OF the band: that their music was good, that they were good songwriters, and that they had an album in the works.
and now having seen the band live and hearing their album, i can confirm that all three of these things are true. (well, the third thing was true before its release). working in studio with sam carlon (from ports of spain, laundry day, and s.g. carlson), the band have created a short and sweet ballad of an album. if it were a wine, you’d sniff it and say something like “oh yeah, that’s a full-bodied wine with a… how do you say… floral bouquet.” it deserves to be savored, taken alone without too much distraction.
one of the things that strikes me about former is the balance is strikes between industriousness and effortlessness. oh boy, look at this pretentious blogger breaking out his SAT prep guide words again. hear me out, though. SHY’s songs walk a very careful line. on the one hand, they sound meticulously pored over, paced carefully, and designed with a close attention-to-detail. but on the other hand, the diaristic nature of these songs sound like they fell out of the heart of an earnest songwriter.
take “CT to JFK”, one of the finest songs on the album. in the pivotal part of the song, shyanne horner sings “to bring you home safe, from jfk.” now, you can’t really read it in that line alone, but there are a few pauses here. one after “safe”, and another after “jf” (right before “k”). it’s an absolutely perfect delivery because the band allows the spaces to exist between the lyrics. it is at once intuitive and cleverly designed. most songwriters would have used this section to let loose, but the band moves in the complete opposite direction, letting restraint take over — making the moment all the more powerful.
and while it may be easy to single out shyanne horner’s presence on former, the rhythm section (bass: michael kusek; drums: quinn pirie) have a warm, confident, light touch. their less-is-more approach sells the premise around horner’s delicate melodies, enabling — and heightening — those spaces and those pauses.
SHY’s debut album is a patient, cool record. it’s not exactly what you’d want in a summer record, but that’s one of the (many) reasons i love it. when the clouds are overhead; when you’re driving on a long stretch of i-91 at night; when you’re lying in bed and your heart is racing after having a tough conversation with a friend, former is a record that will know you.
