I’ve encountered young Shedric both as a solo bluesy-acoustic performer and as part of the eight-legged rhythm and groove force of nature that is THUD, and it is safe to say that this latest sonic missive sits somewhere in between the two. And not just equidistant, not only sat between the deftness of the former and the drive of the latter, but actually encapsulating the best of both worlds. It’s a case of one tempering the other, melody gains muscle and grit is cooled by grace…like I say, the best of both ends of the Shedric-spectrum!
If this splendid EP kicks off with a song that wouldn’t be out of place in a THUD set, though “Ice Breaker” feels more akin to a nostalgic, Austin, Texas cosmic blues vibe than the band’s actual Wiltshire, UK home, “Blue Hazel” seems almost John Martyn-esque in its hazy, folk-jazz jive!
“Rosalie” is a gorgeous piece of angelic instrumental artistry, an ethereal wash of serenity and seduction, a mid-record sonic sorbet to cleanse the palate, create dynamic shape, and send you back to the more rock-and-roll fray, taste buds a-tingling and all the better to appreciate what lies next.
And what lies next is superb. “Lock and Key” is all R&B groove, cool John McVie bass lines, squaling guitar breaks and a fierce and funky organ sound and if the final offering, “Stupid” doesn’t sound like a long lost Jim Croce number, not the obvious anthems but those marvellously more subtle songs he had in his back pocket, then I don’t know what does.
I read that this is a recording long in the making; well, quality takes time, and this is definitely a record that is all the better for the sense that time and care have been just as important in its birthing as the actual sounds that make it up.
