Shanghai Times
Founded as the brain child of Darren Hardy and Steve Watts way back in 2009, The Shanghai Times was initially a project designed to express creative energy. Further down the line, and after recruiting Ash Pye, Kya Knights, Jake Epiphone and Steve Robinson, and the departure of founding member Steve Watts – the band is here today with their self titled debut album, poised to take the next step in their careers. Describing their music as alternative grunge-rock infused with modern guitar riffs, pounding drums, tasty bass lines and heartfelt lyrics, and as offering a live show which is not to be missed, I figured we should check out what was on offer!
As Leave It All Behind kicks things into being we’re launched into a grunge like melee of pounding elements, the guitars leading the way whilst the melodic rhythm section bolsters the mix to a new level. Combining different levels of vocals throughout the mix, we’re presented with an opening track designed to hook us in and make us want more – and the guys pull it off with aplomb from the word go. Do My Time continues this approach further, this time pulling back from the edge and opening with a softer, more hesitant approach. This softened and more laid back approach starts the track in a manner which lures you in, gets you listening and makes you question what’s going to come next, before hammering onwards once again. Fast paced yet firmly rooted in melody from start to finish, this track once again manages to pack a punch whilst still somehow keeping things laid back and chilled out, it’s like a soft hybrid of grunge that personally, I’m growing to quite like! Melodic, catchy and powerful throughout, this track is the epitome of Shanghai Times, and a track I’d highly recommend you check out.
Bullet Train ups the bar once again, once again thrusting us into a grunge like melee that the Queens Of The Stone Age would be proud to call their own. Upbeat guitars work with pounding drums, rumbling basslines and gravelly vocals, the mix once again managing to combine the hard and soft approach whilst somehow keeping their message running through the track – we’re dealing with a band who clearly understand their craft and know what they’re doing here. Offering up a more raw sound for Come At Me the tone of the album changes slightly, this time ushering in a new sense of power and rawness which hasn’t been seen before this moment. This simple yet effective approach is something which suggests that this is a band who are going to be one to see on the live scene, a band who can play live, can produce the goods live, and are an act we should all be checking out. Personally, this is one of my favourite tracks off of the album as simply, it shows what the band sounds like rather than what a studio sounds like, it’s something I love to hear on albums and the guys pull it off rather nicely here.
My Way, Here And Now, Your Favourite Song, No Dice, Antagonist, There She Goes and Already Gone all continue to push the album forwards, each track coming with its own unique take on things and each track reminding us who it is we’re listening to. It’s striking that throughout the tracks, we know we’re listening to Shangahi Times, a band I only came across when they sent through their album, but a band I can now recognise from their approach, something which is going to stand them in good stead moving forwards from here. It’s only left to final track Triad to close things, finishing on a dramatic high and leaving no doubt that this is a band we should all be paying attention to. Strings, hammering guitars, pounding drums and melodic vocals, this final hurrah on the album has it all, and leaves on that clichéd high, and you safe in the knowledge that there are bands out there still offering up dramatic, powerful music which connects with your soul – a solid finish to a solid album.
I’ve been blown away by Shanghai Times and their album here, as simply it’s way more accomplished than I was expecting it to be. From start to finish we’re shown a band who understand music, understand their songs, and know what they want to achieve from their music – something which we should all sit up and take note of. This is a band I look forward to hearing more of, one to check out for sure.
To find out more about Shanghai Times, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
As Leave It All Behind kicks things into being we’re launched into a grunge like melee of pounding elements, the guitars leading the way whilst the melodic rhythm section bolsters the mix to a new level. Combining different levels of vocals throughout the mix, we’re presented with an opening track designed to hook us in and make us want more – and the guys pull it off with aplomb from the word go. Do My Time continues this approach further, this time pulling back from the edge and opening with a softer, more hesitant approach. This softened and more laid back approach starts the track in a manner which lures you in, gets you listening and makes you question what’s going to come next, before hammering onwards once again. Fast paced yet firmly rooted in melody from start to finish, this track once again manages to pack a punch whilst still somehow keeping things laid back and chilled out, it’s like a soft hybrid of grunge that personally, I’m growing to quite like! Melodic, catchy and powerful throughout, this track is the epitome of Shanghai Times, and a track I’d highly recommend you check out.
Bullet Train ups the bar once again, once again thrusting us into a grunge like melee that the Queens Of The Stone Age would be proud to call their own. Upbeat guitars work with pounding drums, rumbling basslines and gravelly vocals, the mix once again managing to combine the hard and soft approach whilst somehow keeping their message running through the track – we’re dealing with a band who clearly understand their craft and know what they’re doing here. Offering up a more raw sound for Come At Me the tone of the album changes slightly, this time ushering in a new sense of power and rawness which hasn’t been seen before this moment. This simple yet effective approach is something which suggests that this is a band who are going to be one to see on the live scene, a band who can play live, can produce the goods live, and are an act we should all be checking out. Personally, this is one of my favourite tracks off of the album as simply, it shows what the band sounds like rather than what a studio sounds like, it’s something I love to hear on albums and the guys pull it off rather nicely here.
My Way, Here And Now, Your Favourite Song, No Dice, Antagonist, There She Goes and Already Gone all continue to push the album forwards, each track coming with its own unique take on things and each track reminding us who it is we’re listening to. It’s striking that throughout the tracks, we know we’re listening to Shangahi Times, a band I only came across when they sent through their album, but a band I can now recognise from their approach, something which is going to stand them in good stead moving forwards from here. It’s only left to final track Triad to close things, finishing on a dramatic high and leaving no doubt that this is a band we should all be paying attention to. Strings, hammering guitars, pounding drums and melodic vocals, this final hurrah on the album has it all, and leaves on that clichéd high, and you safe in the knowledge that there are bands out there still offering up dramatic, powerful music which connects with your soul – a solid finish to a solid album.
I’ve been blown away by Shanghai Times and their album here, as simply it’s way more accomplished than I was expecting it to be. From start to finish we’re shown a band who understand music, understand their songs, and know what they want to achieve from their music – something which we should all sit up and take note of. This is a band I look forward to hearing more of, one to check out for sure.
To find out more about Shanghai Times, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
