Shack - Time Machine; The Best Of (Sour Mash)
4/5
By: Matt Tomiak
A Shack 'Best Of'? Didn't that come out in 1999 - and wasn't it called 'HMS Fable'? Yes, the Scouse minstrels' third album was really rather special. A set of brilliant tunes that was by turns intimate, exuberant, hushed, celebratory and devastatingly candid represented a pretty stellar collection in itself. Nevertheless, we now have 'Time Machine', an official round-up of Shack's finest moments, anthologized from five studio albums from the past 20-odd years. They may never have actually troubled the UK Top 40, but, by 'eck, Shack produced some stirringly magnificent musical moments.
Sure, Shack never disguised their retro leanings. The sprawling, trippy jangle-pop of opener 'I Know You Well' flagrantly cribs from The Byrds' '8 Miles High', whilst the multi-layered 'Meant To Be' showcases the unmistakable influence of Arthur Lee & Love, with whom singer Michael Head would eventually tour with in the early 00's.
And whilst Head was capable of large-scale songwriting - see the regal, string-laden sumptuousness of 'Comedy', the spine-tingling 'Pull Together', and the harrowing account of an addict's desperation contained within 'Streets of Kenny'- he was also capable of composing reassuringly down-to-earth efforts. In that regard, the listener is directed to 'Cup Of Tea' from last year's '...The Corner of Miles & Gil' LP, the 1991 single 'Al's Vacation', a Kinks-ian tale of everyday Scouse folk; or the lovely 'On The Terrace'.
There are also two new tracks included here, 'Holiday Abroad' and 'Wanda.' The former channels the poptastic innocence of early Beatles (if you overlook the lyrics about 'bodderin' the locals in a rural French brasserie and an unexpectedly grim twist at the close); the latter is a yearning tale of unrequited affection. Always likely to come top of any in-the-know rock fan's 'Most Underrated Band' list, 'Time Machine' is a fitting tribute to the legacy of one of British pop's finest under-the-radar acts.
Stream 'Time Machine' in its entirety HERE.
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