One of the joys of reviewing bands is watching them evolve creatively over time. I have to say that my first encounter with Houston’s The Shrubs, via Echoes of a Dream, had me falling immediately for their slick blends of dreamy cinematics, psychedelic textures, shoegaze haze, and pop sensibilities.
“Fall Behind,” ironically, given the title, is the sound of the band powering forward. And without losing any of those aforementioned sonic touches and clever blends, this time out, they find room to add echoes of ’50s surf bands and early rock and roll riffs, and do so without detracting from their already established sounds.
Again, perhaps ironically, this is one of their most upbeat and ambitiously pop-aware songs to date, yet it deals with themes of break-up and emotional fallout. But then, creating opposites that attract and being creatively oxymoronic is what they are so good at.
And if I have used tags such as dream-pop and psychedelia,and I have, it is only because they are useful references, otherwise I would have to invent new ones for were the band are heading, because The Shrubs are all about where the music goes next rather than where it has been; this is about writing the next chapter on the blank page of the book of music history rather than merely looking to the past for ideas and inspiration.
“Fall Behind” is the sound of a band rushing forward at a remarkable, yet dignified, creative pace.
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