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Sheeduz

A Frozen Moment (Sampler)

Written by: PP on 07/11/2007 03:39:18

Since Sheeduz sent me two records, I figured I might as well review them in a row while everything is still fresh in my mind (Check out my review of "The Barefoot Diaries" EP if you are interested). Now to start off the review of their debut album "A Frozen Moment", I'm going to pose the band a serious question. If you want a serious review of your otherwise very decent debut album, I'm sure you would at least send the entire album instead of just sending five extracts from the full album. Unless I've misunderstood something and they only wanted a review of their old demo and provided this sampler as a gift to see if I would be interested in how they've developed their sound since then, I have absolutely no clue what they wanted to achieve with it.

You see, by only giving me half an album to review I can only give it half a rating, as well. This is a great shame because songs like "Sick Boy" show that the band really has some potential. It's been a while since I've heard a band as full of desperate angst as this one, and I don't mean that in an emo way. Vocalist Audrey (funnily enough they are all three called Audrey in the band) screams like a bitch having her hair pulled (excuse my chauvinistic language), fitting perfectly to the chaotic garage meets punk rock sound the instruments have going on. And like from another world, "The End Of Us" sees the same Audrey with a voice so fragile that I'm honestly afraid of it shattering while she floats effortlessly around the simplistic instruments. It's also the first song where Sheeduz shows that if they really try hard, they can create not too bad vocal harmonies and interesting choruses. "Welcome To Mine" is a groovy piano-ballad that recalls the jazz club scenes from oldschool gangster movies with a gorgeous chick singing beautifully whilst on top of a classical piano - I'm liking the picture this song paints into my mind.

Artistically, the leap from "The Barefoot Diaries" EP is huge. Every song on the five track sampler of "A Frozen Moment" shows how big of a difference two years can make to a band; in this case, Sheeduz has actually learnt how to write enjoyable and memorable songs, and have managed to drop off the useless grunge rock reference that plagued their demo. While it's still relatively far out from my usual tastes and I'll probably never listen to the record again after I finish this review, it does make me kind of excited what the next release from these girls might bring, since it's starting to be about two years since the writing and recording of this one. If they keep on progressing at this pace, the next album will be contesting bands like Dresden Dolls and Courtney Love on the international scenes. Keep it up, girls, and keep in mind that I can't give a higher rating because I haven't heard the rest of the album.

Download: Sick Boy, The End Of Us
For the fans of: Dresden Dolls, Courtney Love
Listen: Myspace

Release date 01.01.2007
Autoproduction