SHY – Sunset And Vine

SHY are an AOR music band with a hint of the older Bon Jovi and Foreigner, and this album turned out to be an unexpected, exciting, and adrenaline-pumping 40 minutes. It is so obvious that these guys not are new to the game. The British Boys in SHY indeed know their business. Sunset and Vine is the tenth album from this band, who released their debut album Once Bitten, Twice Shy in 1983. SHY have also been touring and opening for Meatloaf, Gary Moore, and Bon Jovi, among others.

The secret of this band is the way they slip effortlessly between in-your-face rock, and tender, heart-felt power ballads. They received some good reviews for their previous album, called Unfinished Business (2002), and it was voted “Album of the Month” in several rock magazines. Their upcoming CD, Sunset and Vine will be released on the 7th of February, 2005.

Track 6, “Don’t Jump The Gun,” would make an obvious single, and could be a hit on the MTV along with a variety of TV and radio channels. Another song worth a few words is “Walk Through Fire” … chunky riffs underlining a memorable melody-laced song that is as good as anything from the above mentioned bands. This song had everything and was totally impressive with respect to the vocal and guitar passages … a real highlight.

SHY prove that they are not just are a wall of noise in “I’ll Be Home Tonight,” which is a slow, laid-back song. The lyrics on the album are emotional in some places –- at others, straight to the heart. The band doesn’t just play angry and emotional songs, there is a underlying quality to their songwriting. The music is intricate and technical, as expected from this band, but not too heavy. Of course, this is far from a complaint!!! The balance of the instruments and vocals are dead on. None of the elements overwhelm another, so nothing awkwardly stands out … definitely an enjoyable release.

Tony Mills (vocals) doesn’t sit at the top of the throne in the halls of Metal, but he is doing a great job on some of the songs on this album. His voice sounds true and clear, like a crystal bell in a house of glass … but in some tracks, it is a bit difficult to pick up what Mills is singing, as the words are hidden behind too loud of bass (Roy Stephan Davis) and drums (Bob Richards), and it drags the album down a tad. Ian Richardson and Steve Harris (guitars), and Joe Basketts (keyboards), hang in there nicely, however.

It seems as though there are a lot of new Metal bands out there, but some old boys are still going strong. Quite simply, this is a good and memorable album with AOR Hard Rock music boasting catchy anthems and quality ensemble playing.