Shake Some Action, the Seattle power pop band fronted by James Hall returns with more rockin’ tunes on “Sunny Days Ahead.” Like the last album, we get those classic 70’s sounds updated for modern audiences. The opener “Get It Together” has that Kinks meet Strokes vibe, as this is a bit more agressive than the debut. My favorite tune here is “Looking For Someone” which reminds me of the Hoodoo Gurus or a more rockin’ version of the La’s. The sound across the album is fairly consistent. The familiar Rickenbacker jangle on “Hurry Up” would feel at home on a Grip Weeds album. “Draw The Line” draws from The Cars a bit and the Replacements even more. The hooks are all good too, although after the mid point the album sags a bit, then it picks up – “Unusual Girl” sounds like a cool They Might Be Giants track. The retro riff in “You Don’t Care” is another winner – these guys would sound great touring with The Uglybeats! The sonic attack ending of “Who Do You Live?” has an atonal rock vocal contrasting with the really heavy guitar crunchiness making it closer to an Iggy Pop or Paul Westerberg song. You can hear samples on the bands web site or CD Baby. If you want a rock and jangle-y good time, you couldn’t pick a better starting point.
The Shake Some Action site | My Space | CD Baby