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Street Dogs - State of Grace
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My first encounter with a shark came at the young age of seven. It was in Tarpon Springs, Florida, a small Greek community in the Tampa vicinity. There’s a small aquarium in the downtown area, offering you opportunities to, among other things, hold a blowfish and pet a string ray. The big draw, however, is a tank holding various fish and and sharks, in which there’s a daily show where a diver immerses himself in the tank to interact with the animals. Now, before this exhibition could start, the tank's largest shark swam pretty quickly, right towards me, at which point I jumped back, tripped over the bench behind me, and hit my head on the ground. It was later explained to me that a shark that size could never break the thick, double-paned glass, so I grew to enjoy going to that aquarium and seeing the shows, just as over the years I’ve grown to be a pretty big fan of the indie rock outfit Sharks Keep Moving.

Combining delicate but moving vocals, off-key time signatures and lulling instrumentation, Sharks Keep Moving’s Desert Strings And Drifters is a four-song EP well-versed in talented songwriting and relaxing soundscapes. I’ve heard some comparisons to American Football in relation to this EP, and I can't say I really disagree with that assessment, the difference being when American Football seems poised to rock and let things go, is when Sharks Keep Moving actually do rock. They share some jazzy qualities with a lot of the drumming and guitar tones, but these songs have a depth to them that’s all their own. “Cashmere, Washington” has some strong instrumentation, including the use of a viola that does well to accent the mood and tempo, meanwhile adding a little extra.

The vocals to be found on this album appear about as often as I enjoy actually being around sharks: rather sparsely. It seems that the singer likes to “pick his spots,” so to speak, but his inclusion just doesn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason in the sound or sequencing of this album. The instrumentation far outweighs any sort of vocal harmony on every song but the aforementioned “Cashmere, Washington,” where the singer's delicate and restrained tone accents the quiet harmonics of the guitar and slinky sounds of the bass.

It’s on EPs like this that the individual parts are greater than the sum of the whole. It’s a tight package, but it’s moments like the viola that brings “All Out Of...” and the ultra delicate vocals on top of the viola in “Arizona” that produce the finest moments. That’s not to say the EP as a whole isn’t strong, because that’s not the case, but I find myself listening to individual songs more than the entire album in one solid effort.

Sharks Keep Moving really didn’t hit their stride until after this EP, but this introduction to the band proved to be an important one. Jazzy song textures, light vocals, and some terrific mood setting by the inclusion of the viola help to push this release above what I would consider average, but the sound growing dull by the end of things is something that needed to be addressed. For those who haven’t heard the band, it’s not a bad place to start, and it hurts a whole hell of a lot less than a bump to the head on a tile floor.



People who liked this also liked:
Polar Bear Club - The Redder, The BetterLatterman - ...We Are Still AliveIra - The Body and the SoilHow We Are - To Teach a HundredNOFX - Punk In DrublicJustice - JusticeAdhesive - SideburnerLimp - GuitardedAdhesive - We Got The BeatBlink 182 - Dude Ranch



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    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-08-01 18:57:15

    "jones the bones...you're an asshole. I've watched you criticize everyone on this board. Maybe you should an offer a review or something substantial, you prick. What the fuck do you all day you lazy fuck of a waste of cum?"

    uh, i dont know why youre all pissy here, since i was sticking up for anchors review... seriously, of all the places you could have written this comment, why did you put it in a place that i was being positive and sticking up for a review?

    also, i have written 3 reviews for this site, i know its not alot, but its a contribution...my username gets cut off when they are posted though so you dont see them when you click on my info or whatever. but i guess if you want to read them, search the reviews for "red hot chili peppers" "ted leo" or "dead fucking last"

    i'm putting my dady's cum to good use (that sounds fucking gross)

    it just happens that i am in front of the computer alot for school.

    but seriously, i cant get over the fact that you wrote this comment here...

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 1, 2005 at 5:05 PM (EDT)

    jones the bones...you're an asshole. I've watched you criticize everyone on this board. Maybe you should an offer a review or something substantial, you prick. What the fuck do you all day you lazy fuck of a waste of cum?

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 1, 2005 at 12:59 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Hey Brian, last time I checked, 2001 was more recent than 1999.

    -Chinatown

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 31, 2005 at 8:28 PM (EDT)

    "Off-key time signatures"?

    What are you, retarted?

    ---------

    I was kind of thinking that too. What exactly does that mean?

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 31, 2005 at 2:28 AM (EDT)

    most underrated band i can think of.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 29, 2005 at 9:09 PM (EDT)

    "Off-key time signatures"?

    What are you, retarted?

    Posted by Anchors on 2005-07-29 16:46:41

    Hahaha that stuff is absolutely disgusting. I'm originally from NY, I only lived in Florida for 6 years or so, and I vacation down there pretty regularly, but I would never touch that stuff again.

    And I've also heard Lake Tarpon has gators. I know the 37 different bayous in Tarpon Springs used to have manatees, but those very well may have died out or left.

    Posted by sickboi on 2005-07-29 16:25:21
    My Score:

    I threw up in Lake Tarpon once. We were on a boat all day, drinking and shit, and stopped at one of those lakeside bars that you can dock at. Well, we got this shit that you Floridians seem to loves, Fish spread, or something? You spread it on a cracker, put some hot sauce on it and eat it?

    Well, lets just say "fish spread", beer, the hot-ass summer, and boating do not mix.

    That and Lake Tarpon has gators.
    (So I hear)

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-07-29 12:46:34

    "No one cares about your fucking shark story or the aquarium. Just review the fucking album"

    you must have not read my comment

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 29, 2005 at 11:28 AM (EDT)

    i downloaded this off you like two months ago.

    Posted by Inspection12e on 2005-07-29 10:57:40

    Awesome review. I was hoping the reissue would have some extras but it was just an exact repress.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 29, 2005 at 9:45 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    score is for this friday's new reviews... borrrrring!

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 29, 2005 at 7:07 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Good band, good album, Pause and Clause is my favorite record of theirs though.

    Good review, although that first paragraph was as irrelevant to the review as me saying "My cat's name is Tom. I like Sharks Keep Moving."

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 29, 2005 at 4:56 AM (EDT)

    i love minus the bear...which could be a link to why i liked these guys

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 29, 2005 at 4:48 AM (EDT)

    No one cares about your fucking shark story or the aquarium. Just review the fucking album

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-07-29 01:10:36

    i saw you wrote this review and was hoping to get some sort of shark story...and i did!!!!

    i might check out this band.

    nice shot at hilton too, stupid whore

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

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