by Thrin Vianale (@windedfl)
Nashville’s Shell of a Shell is releasing their demons on their latest offering, Away Team, out on Exploding In Sound Records. At just under 45 minutes, this album weaves its way through a repertoire of hard-hitting emotions, catchy and tumultuous riffs, and lyrics that get to the root of what it is to be a person, more specifically, to be on your own. On first listen, I was struck by the group’s ability to vacillate between harsh dynamics throughout songs in a seemingly effortless way, and yet maintain one common mood that characterizes the album as a whole. You’ll probably think about your own mortality at some point while listening to this record, but why listen to music in the first place if not for that?
Starting with the pseudo-ballad “Funny,” we are already confronted with “the ghost of the past,” an idea that weaves through this album in various ironic and punishing ways. What begins a vaguely upbeat song devolves into a slow build of emotional turmoil, which carries seamlessly into the driving melody of “My Wildfire”. Out of the gates with this track we are greeted with the idea that there’s “something wrong about it”. The anxiety in this track and the ones following is palpable; guitars carry creeping melodies up and down in ways that are winding and unpredictable. Just when you think they’re plummeting into complete chaos, you find yourself with an abrupt jolt, break, or tonal shift in the middle of a song. The display of chaos and control in Away Team is incredibly tough to pull off, but the group does in a way that is both natural and wonderfully unsettling.
In the title track we are again met with a sense of uncertainty; the song looms over a storyline that hints at the idea of the inconsistencies of a person’s presence in the narrator’s life, or their own sense of self. It is entwined with the next track, “Don’t Expect,” where another jittery, heavy mix of guitars and vocal melodies move through the emotional spectrum over its eight minute run time. Lyrically, this track hits especially hard, which is only driven further by the sporadically speeding up and slowing down of the guitars and rhythm within it. The idea of approaching life having no expectations is one I certainly relate to, and the frustration and inner struggle that exists within that proposition. Having no expectations is prudent, and also… kinda sucks, ya know? The songwriting overall is brutally honest, with philosophies that mirror the constantly shifting sensibilities of the music itself.
“Seems Like” is a slow burn of a finale, encapsulating everything that makes this record what it is, and how great it is. Starting out cautionary and fast paced, repeating, “it seems like there’s something wrong,” the track ambles its way into a dirge-like piano melody, and finally, into complete silence before breaking back into over-caffeinated rock until the bitter end. If you can’t find something to relate to in this song, then congrats! Nothing weird, upsetting, or confusing has ever happened to you! Teach us your secrets, powerful wizard! The emotional rollercoaster of Away Team takes you through endless twists and turns, and this ten-minute behemoth of a track synthesizes and makes sense of it all.
Away Team gives you moments of quiet reflection, a relatable voice of one’s inner monologue that’s rife with anxiety, confusion, a sense of impending doom, perhaps. Considering the idea of what it means to be an “away team” for a moment; one might drum up being on the outskirts of familiarity, holding one’s own in a place where the odds are stacked against them. Away Team is a powerful display of vulnerability. This album corners you with intrusive thoughts you might have yourself, the thought of wasted time, books you bought that are collecting dust on your Ikea shelves, rose-colored thoughts of your life you had years ago held against what it is now. However, if this album works the same way for you as it did for me, it will likely make you feel less alone. Couldn’t we all use a little more of that?