The Shikes – Aggression – EP Review

Dave Wirth, my man, you have certainly kept us all guessing as to what the heck it is you’re gonna do next over the years, and every time we run into your music again, you’ve completely gone & thrown yourself into a whole new dimension of your art, and all of us out here listening for a loop in the process!  You beautiful man you – surprise is easily one of the best things about music bar-none to begin with, but Wirth good sir, you always seem to find a way to take it to the limits and do a full 180-degree turn around from what we think we might know, and stun is all over again with something entirely new & unique, totally different from anything we’ve heard from ya before.  That’s a true gift folks.

Mind you, we don’t cross paths nearly enough to ever truly keep me satisfied – I will ALWAYS want MORE from this brilliant musical-mind…but I’m also certainly mighty thankful whenever this dude shows up with new tunes, and that this shape-shifter continues to excel in his craft overall, no matter what moniker he’s choosing to go by these days.  Amazing how time flies and how much can change in that same span – I originally met Dave through an interview across the internet for his old band Sprightly Moans, published here on our site back on Christmas of 2013.  How is it even possible it was that long ago already?  Incredible.  I probably had a whole lot less grey in my beard back then, but alas, surely still had this face made for radio attached to my neck as well.  Anyhow!  The history between us continued on throughout the years – I reviewed the Sprightly Moans Demos III EP long ago – and to be truthful, it still carries one of my absolute favorite songs he’s ever written, a balled called “Love Is Nothing Without Eternity.”  It’s a song so etched into my brain & heart that I can recall its melody any time I choose to; that’s pulling it all the way back from seven years ago, from March of 2014 when I reviewed Demos III.

Then the dude seemed to disappear for a moment or two there.  Though I’d continue to celebrate this guy’s incredible music through the SBS Podcast when it was being redesigned in 2016, it still wasn’t until the next year afterwards that we’d hear from Dave again with some new tunes in 2017 after being away from us for nearly four years!  He came back inspired with a totally different direction than we’d heard him from the Sprightly Moans stuff, and dropped a sweet set of instrumental tunes on his self-titled album Flutters at the beginning of January, before lighting-up the amplifiers for a quick two-song EP called The Big Heavy towards the end of 2017 while he was still rocking under his own name solo.  And then dammit, wouldn’t you know it – somehow, someway, this guy managed to hide himself away for yet another nearly four years from us.  It’s a lot of history that’s actually packed into a fairly compressed amount of time…you know how it goes out there music-scene, you strike while the iron is hot, as they say, and when that inspiration hits, let’s be real here – that’s exactly when you’re all (well, SOME of you) out there doin’ your thing and being the most active on your pages & promo & whatnot.  It’s only natural that some time is gonna pass between us all between this time & the next whenever we cross paths with any of you…but I dunnnnnnno Daver – I might just have to declare that four years is four too long after hearing this new EP by The Shikes.

This is madness.  This is chaos.  This is freakin’ SPARTA in the form of audibly digitalized mayhem!

And it WILL be a battle for many…at least to start.  Don’t panic!  You are going to feel like you’ve been strapped in for a ride you’re not ready for as “It’s Gone A Spring Song” starts…and that’s okay, it’s gonna be natural to feel that way, be cool man-dude/lady-friend, be cool.  Just breathe through it, hold a yoga pose, or do whatever you gotta do to calm yourself from imploding, because if you miss out on the savage badassery of this song kickin’ in once you get past the sheer insanity of its Technicolor intro, you’re only doing your own ears a disservice & nothing more.  I’m not even remotely kidding about the jarring effect the very beginning will have on ALL of you…that’s RIGHT, I said ALL, as in EACH and EVERY last one of you out there listening – you will be shocked at the amount of sound coming through your speakers when you push play on “It’s Gone A Spring Song.”  As I mentioned earlier, this beard of mine’s got plenty of grey in it these days now…I’ve been around for a while, and heard a record or two throughout that time…and there are few that I could name, if any, that’ll punch your brain so squarely as this will straight away.  It’s so akin to that feeling you get when you’re walking out of a movie theater (remember those?) in the middle of the afternoon sun & squinting & trying your best to simply focus in on your way forward – “It’s Gone A Spring Song” will attempt to completely blind your ears in the same way through an intentional onslaught & overload of sensory sound that WILL take you a spin or two to adjust to, and that’s completely by design.  The Shikes draw an audible sand instantly with this first cut and how it’s revealed – you’ve either got the stones to be able to hang with this level of intensity and all-out madness in music, or ya don’t – and I suspect there’s no one out there that knows where that line is better than Dave, nor anyone so willing to cross it into a new realm of their own innovative creativity.   Assuming you SURVIVE the first twenty five seconds without your best friends trying to snuggle you into a nice new white coat with very suspiciously long sleeves – you should in theory, find the rest to follow equally mind-blowing, just for a whole set of different reasons is all.  Heading right into a barrage of gripping Indie-Folk/Alt-Rock – “It’s Gone A Spring Song” starts ripping along with the subtle intensity of the Foos when they’re right in the thick of the melody, or later in in the chilled grooves of QOTSA, and with all the electrifying rawness & realness that both bands put into the earlier tunes of their career.  From the enormity of the drums, to the stellar harmonies that show up, to the incredible way that Wirth sings this song – everything stacks up to a vicious win through powerfully wicked sound coming atcha mercilessly from its very beginning to its amped-up final moments.  If it seems like I’m going on forever about this first tune it’s because the effort & uniqueness warrant the words – this is how you CRUSH an opening and make an experience 100% memorable in just about every conceivable way I can think of.

<a href="https://firefireredstardown.bandcamp.com/album/aggression">Aggression by The Shikes</a>

“Sit, Think, Make, Say, Do.”  “Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV.”  See Dave?  I can do it too bro.

Okay – to be fair, he’s not exactly trying to perform a cognitive test here, so much as just come up with a clever title to represent this 1984-tinged second tune of three on The Shikes Aggression EP.  I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song.  Admittedly, Dave doesn’t punch us so hard in the face on our way in through the door of this cut, allowing a much more subtle groove to guide him along while he demonstrates a mastery of melody & his well-crafted, multi-layered, poetic lyricism.  In the words of “Sit, Think, Make, Say, Do” is where you’ll find no quarter is spared or punches are pulled; his lyrics may be short, they may be brief, but make no mistake, what he’s written here is highly effective and the way what he sings will cling to your bones afterwards only proves just how much of an impact The Shikes make with this track.  Ultimately, this is one devious little tune that packs in a ton of thought-provoking words into the short span of less-than three minutes of time…and it’s addictive melody & chorus is likely one you’ll be shocked to find yourself singing later on around the house.  It’s oddly uplifting, which is probably a direct correlation resulting from it sounding so damn good, but the further you dig into the words, the more grittiness you’ll find darkening the sunshiny sound below the surface.  Wildly interpretive as well – chances are, listeners are going to come to all kinds of conclusions as to what this song is really all about, but at the same time, there’s no denying how much they’ll love it even if they don’t fully understand it, or even attempt to.  The Shikes give you the opportunity to sing along here; whether you want to grapple with the full weight of WHAT you’re singing about, remains your choice as it always does.  If you ask me, “Sit, Think, Make, Say, Do” reminds me a ton of Beirut from right around the…what was it…the March Of The Zapotec era where he started blending analog & digital ideas together, and retained the classic golden-era melody in the sweetness of his voice to pair with it – Dave’s digging into a similar mix here, and the results are absolutely stellar – this is pure audible gold.

I am honestly fucking ecstatic about what I hear on this record, pardon the ol’ language folks – but that’s the reality here – uniqueness is by far the most alluring aspect of music all-around, and The Shikes have displayed nothing but throughout all three tunes.  Like, the closest you’re going to get to something you’d be able to call more straightforward or accessible is going to be the final cut at the end, “Trouble At The Heart Of Spring” – and if this is straightforward to you, believe me when I say, you and I can be friends.  All I’m saying is that in terms of linear listening and the average everyday listener out there, chances are, this last cut is the smoother gateway into The Shikes without blowing their minds with too much wildness in one dose.  In many ways actually, you could look at a track like “Trouble At The Heart Of Spring” as being that lost step that never occurred in the Radiohead catalog between something like Amnesiac and what eventually became The King Of Limbs…somewhere in between there, they’d have been proud to rock a multi-dimensional groove like this one without question.  If it comes RIGHT down to it, I’ll concede that there’s probably more chance of the melody in the chorus of “Sit, Think, Make, Say, Do” being the ultimate hook & gateway for the people out there into this record, but considering its more dicey language & its many possible interpretations, I’d be inclined to go with the reliable groove he’s rockin’ on “Trouble At The Heart Of Spring” as the most likely candidate to represent the record.  What I truly DON’T think, is that the man can lose with any choice he’d make – any of these songs should make a thunderous impact as they land onto your playlists & find a permanent place to reside.  What you’ll hear on the Aggression EP is genuinely EXCITING – it has that authentically feeling of heading straight into the unknown, and you honestly can’t even place a value on just how incredible it is to listen to something like this record, filled with material that you’d never be able to remotely predict.

I almost hate to say it because four years away is so freakin’ long…but I’ll be damned if this wasn’t 100% well worth waiting for Mr. Wirth – you’ve absolutely outdone yourself in every possible way with these three cuts on The Shikes Aggression EP and created a sonic madness I am more than proud to stand behind, in front of, side by side & hand-in-hand with…you get the idea, I’m gonna listen to this forever.

Find music by The Shikes and other projects Dave Wirth is in at the Fire, Fire, Red Star Down! label’s page at Bandcamp right here:  https://firefireredstardown.bandcamp.com

Dave Wirth‘s newest album Flutters is a refreshing and much welcome change to the barrage of over-produced, over-packaged and typically over-thought-out music being released (and submitted to us).

A thirty-five minute journey with nothing but Dave and his guitar results in one of the most relaxing and “in-the-moment” records I have heard in quite some time.

For a more in-depth look into Dave and his music, be sure to check out our recent interview.

The visual accompaniment for the single Song For Hawley does an excellent job at setting the tone and giving us a glimpse into what we can expect for the rest of this sonically comforting journey.

Like a soothing Sunday drive or a breezy evening on the front porch, Dave Wirth takes us on a journey through simple, in-the-moment acoustic arrangements.

Consider me a fan!

…it was a surprise, but after like five of these songs were written, the theme of chill-ness became apparent. Just the experience of listening to a piece of music and not necessarily being titillated by it… that seemed like it was how this record decided to present itself… I know there’s people out there who want music to completely overwhelm them, and I am like that too sometimes. This record ended up having the feeling of a super-chill road trip, a lazy afternoon. I was delighted with how it turned out. Very happy.”

I’m delighted as well. Flutters is a great addition to your music collection.

Thanks to midtnmusic.com for reviewing the album!

Okay, seriously blushing now. I am blown away by this. Still pinching myself...

Read the review here.

A new direction in sound for a musician we’ve heard in the past and reviewed in the pages here at sleepingbagstudios – Dave Wirth, formerly one-half of the duo known as Sprightly Moans is back with an all-instrumental solo-album called Flutters. Definitely a departure from the music we’ve heard from him in the aforementioned band from before as Dave breaks from the rock sound towards the acoustic here…but also in many ways…perhaps a logical extension of the depth of emotion and atmosphere that was slowly creeping into the music of Sprightly when last we’d heard them on their Demos III EP in 2014.

And that’s certainly okay with me…as many of you readers out there already know, I’m big on melody, sincerity and honesty in the music I listen to – and above all things, I think you get an amazing dose of all three on this new record from Wirth. These largely innocent & untainted ideas come out sounding incredibly natural & humble in their presentation/recordings; while it’s true that some tracks will rely more heavily upon one or two of the aspects I’ve mentioned…bottom line is, if you’re looking for those same kind of qualities and combinations that I respond to personally – you’ll love this too.

Emotions run deep throughout the record and make themselves known immediately as the lead-single “Song For Hawley” begins to spread its melancholy mix of hopeful sounds. Right off the bat, Wirth lets the magic of sincerity invade the atmosphere; the guitars we hear are humble and earnest in their approach and the progression from the verse to chorus is indeed a beautiful one. The impact of this first tune makes a measurable mark in sincerity as it plays…gorgeous final shifts in the chords at the end…almost like improv in the way it’s played there, but even if that’s the case – he found the perfect way to end this first tune and lead it right into the sweetened beginnings of “Graffiti Peace,” the album’s longest cut.

“Graffiti Peace” also has that mix of melancholy emotion in the writing/sound mixed with smart progressions that provide uplifting tones and hopeful vibes in the music we hear. Pensive, careful & cautious throughout its gentle movements…”Graffiti Peace” sounds like it made Wirth pause and consider life along the way in the recording and that translates to us as listeners. There are natural pauses and slight hang-ups in some chords that could have gone against him, were it not for the way that this track flows in such an acceptably honest sound. In a way, these moments actually end up giving strength to what we hear on “Graffiti Peace,” because it’s REAL. We’re talking seriously slight anyhow…those moments where the chords hang for a millisecond longer in the air…and I’m telling ya…as a listener, they brilliantly communicate the emotion that’s truly being put into the mood and character of the overall idea. Whether it’s intentional or not, I couldn’t tell you 100% for sure…but if you’ve ever heard a musician say ‘sometimes songs just write themselves’- there’s truth in that. Sometimes you start a journey in recording with an idea of how it goes from playing & practicing it a million times…and then you get to the studio and the final version becomes something entirely different altogether from the magic in that moment of time. I loved the way some of these notes would ring & ring and stay involved in the atmosphere & mix. I felt like “Graffiti Peace” has a lot of that…I bet you could hear Dave play this in numerous different ways and those chords he’s selected would always guide him to the stunning, emotional sound he’s found here on this tune; the kind of song that might not be ‘perfect’ in some ways…for others, it is entirely.

By comparison to the five-plus minutes of “Graffiti Peace,” the following cut “Sassy Flourish” almost passes by in the blink of an eye at less-than two-minutes long. While it almost does sound more like an interlude and noodling in the classical-end of music somewhat, you can still tell that “Sassy Flourish” is a focused idea and serves the record well to introduce new textures, tones and potential directions early on into the entirety of the listening experience. In a sense…the interlude feeling is justifiable…”Sassy Flourish is also nestled in the record’s most perceivable tough-spot between the length & humble-beauty of “Graffiti Peace” and what I’d consider to be another serious highlight on Flutters, “Penumbra Nadir.”

The emotion, melody, rhythm and sincerity of “Penumbra Nadir” is stunning to listen to. Wirth plays Zeppelin-esque chords contained smartly within a folk-style rhythm and makes really clever moves in throughout the song’s structure and transitions. Absolutely powerful stuff if you ask me…the song has a ton of movement & ideas to cover throughout its four-plus minutes, but the execution is there completely and the thickness of the emotion is truly audible. As beautiful as it can be haunting – “Penumbra Nadir” was a completely memorable experience for me; I think Dave did a tremendous job of mixing up the sounds we hear from the light to the dark and that the balance of emotion in the music, writing & performance was noteworthy. Right before/entering the two-minute mark…have a listen…that’s the sound of REAL emotion, passion & their relationship to melody on display right there.

“Two Steps Above” wasn’t really my thing, but I can appreciate it. You can hear the skill in the musicianship here…and I dig that without question…melody/mood of the song was perhaps just a bit brightened-up for my own personal taste. Drifting even more towards the folk-side of the album’s sound…it’d be hard to have complaints about a song built on nothing but pleasant sounds really. Many of the picked-parts from Dave sound seriously impressive…and I dig those too. If anything, I’d assume it’s that this track is in another tough-spot on the record between the amazing “Penumbra Nadir” and the widely spread-out, impressive sounds of “Paratrooping Dream.”

Because let me tell you…I’d personally LOVE to read what other people might think about “Paratrooping Dream” and whether or not they dig it. Don’t get me wrong – personally, I freakin’ LOVE this tune myself – but I can totally get how this track might be forgotten or missed by the people out there. I haven’t added it up in exact minutes or seconds…but I bet there’s potentially just as much complete silence within the framework of “Paratrooping Dream” as there is actual sound…and straight-up, that’s gonna work better for some than others out there when it comes to listening. For those about to rock…you’re in the wrong place; this song is completely about artistic expression and real emotion in music that makes an impact through its use of space/sound combined. Personally I think it’s bold, it’s a brilliant inclusion on the record, and its combination of ambient-hypnosis is something I could listen to at all times on any given day. It’s really not all that often that you hear an artist/band take a timeout like this to really examine how effective space can be in music and I thought “Paratrooping Dream” as a result of its minimalism was one of the tracks that really made a maximum impact on Flutters.

Easing us back into music with more music in it, “Delicate Red” is another huge highlight on this album with perhaps one of its most accessible and inviting melodies that we’ve heard so far. As much as I’m a big fan of the smart chord-choices that Dave makes to bring interesting tones, textures and atmospheres to our ears…I’ve also gotta really hand it to him for the clarity in the recordings capturing the genuine passion & emotion he plays with as well as it does. “Delicate Red” is one of the best examples of Wirth’s music at its most stunning & beautiful as it weaves through its dreamlike structure; I couldn’t get enough of this melodic-gem in the middle of what’s become a truly strong mid-section of Flutters as it continues on.

I cracked a genuine smile when listening to “Aulternative” – because…well…because it’s freakin’ brilliant that’s why. Dave has kept this record plenty chilled-out from the moment it started…and that’s not about to change here…but the addition of what are noticeably ‘grunge’ chords ripped right out of the unplugged-alternative era are something you can definitely hear. Hence, the brilliant title to reflect that…or at least that’s the theory I’m going with. This combination of folk/alternative is a highly effective idea and cleverly crafted, orchestrated & assembled by Dave to get the most out of each moment. That alt-sound is definitely there…might be masked by the ol’ folk-magic brightening it up times…but to me, there’s no mistaking sounds like these. Some of those golden chords could have come right off of brilliant acoustic-based records from Alice In Chains like their Unplugged record or even their first EP, Sap. “Aulternative” is a smart track all the way through and captures some of the essence of that lethargic/uplifting mix of the energy and attitude of the music of the alternative era that made it so full of bold contrast and massively interesting to listen to. Wirth keeps this tune solidly entertaining through both aspects of the song’s two dominating personalities & mood-swings.

“Uma Shock” was a bit ‘take it or leave it’ for me; certainly makes sense to include it on this instrumental record of Wirth’s…short enough that in a sense, once it’s written easier to include certainly than to discard. I’ve got no real issues with “Uma Shock” – it’s a short & sweet track that definitely isn’t offensive to the ears by any standard…I suppose if anything, just felt more like the beginning of an idea to come rather than a complete one on its own. Much the same could potentially be said of “Parchment Ruse” to follow, which is even more sparse by comparison and similar to an idea like “Paratrooping Dream” for its use of space. Good to serve as quick interludes on the record…I felt like “Parchment Ruse” displays some fantastic choices for the chords played but also felt the approach itself might have been best limited to the earlier attempt with “Paratrooping Dream” for one spot on the album in total. Personally, I still like them both…just not sure the album needs two widely-spread ideas in the one listening experience.

Even with “A Take On Lonesome Dove” bringing a bit more structure back to the atmosphere, it still felt as if Flutters was still searching & wandering towards its next imaginative idea. “A Take On Lonesome Dove” has a delicate gentleness to it – and much like many of these songs, the crisp, clean & clear way that it’s been recorded really does draw you in to listen closely…but overall, following “Uma Shock” and “Parchment Ruse” it does feel like the focus has meandered a bit towards the end of Flutters. Of course…it’s important to recognize a lot of the intentions behind the writing of these songs and this album is one of ambient-style ambition…and even in the moments where you might zone-out for a second into the world around you, this isn’t music you’d ever turn off so much as leave running in the background like the natural soundtrack that coincides with your own life. The album, like many in the ambient genre, will also snap you back into it when you hear a sound that particularly resonates with you…just like “All, One Honduras” did with me towards the end of the record. A stunning and gorgeous return to melody that has real focus and heart – I thought the exquisite texture to the sound of “All, One Honduras” made for one of the most endearing and sweet songs on Flutters. Really well played & performed…there is absolutely amazing & beautiful tones throughout this song, gentle yet captivating, all at the same time.

Ending in the pensive and thoughtful tones & movements from which it all began, the title-track “Flutters” ends the experience conclusively. Another tender melody and smartly played tune…I like the natural quiet/loud that Dave has included in this song and in many of the performances along the way. The fading at the end of “Flutters” sounds like it was done by hand rather than in the booth…but even before that, scattered throughout this song and others you can hear him adapt to the emotion and energy of the writing by striking the notes or chords with the appropriate power to echo the intentions.

I’ll say this in conclusion…I think Flutters is a fantastic album to help heal the soul and soothe the mind. It’s hard to get ‘excited’ about anything remotely ambient…the very nature of the genre is so entirely laid-back and chilled out that any over-the-top enthusiasm would seem out of place…but I can certainly vouch for the fact that I’ve enjoyed every song on this record in one way, shape or form. I think a lot of the tones, textures and emotions that run deep throughout this album are the kind that people truly respond to…like feelings we can all relate to. Dave’s played this record with a lot of admirable heart – and I think above all, that’s really what you’ll hear on Flutters more than anything else.

Conveniently…Flutters officially releases February 14th this year. Stay connected to the information & music of Dave Wirth at his official page: https://www.davewirthmusic.com

Read it at NoiseShaft.com
 

Flutters by Dave Wirth is an exclusively acoustic full length, divided to 13 arrangements of improvisative/super-contemplative string strumming. And there is a lot to be heard indeed, as frequencies demand full attention as they are finally given due time and real estate to claim their full share of murdered silence on.

"Technically" speaking, the artistic aim behind the disc is to showcase how awareness moves within an unrelenting type of layered existence which IT creates in the process, leaving behind traces of sounds, but now documented in larger-than-life proportions, courtesy of recording equipment entirely devoted to paint a very precise picture of audible stimuli. Read on to know more.

Wirth's music is deeply introspective, self-reflective, imperturbed, and dangerless. It has a concept of motion, even an ability to move, but it does not have any urge to do so on a constant basis. Instead, the album first and foremost is prone to invite the listener to re-discover the fundamental intimacy of the concept of sound. Wirth won't try to convince you of any special-, Mad Sk1ll LevelzZz at guitar molestation, nor he will bring forth a constant urge to discover harmonies that aren't conceived on this earth - although he will have surprises up his sleeves. With songs like "Penumbra Nadir" or the titular "Flutters", increased levels of harmonic awareness and playfulness is observable, toppled by the fact that Wirth always manages to stay away from the act of shaking his own hand - which would be very hard to do while playing "tAh" guitar while holding a coffee mug, anyway.

As mentioned, the core behaviour of the record is reflective of an artistic stance that does not seek to impress at all, as its aim is to re-discover and worship the importance of sound, and indeed this very awe-, this very fascination towards the magic of sound created out of nothing/out of mere potential, is captured and delivered on the release. As such, the disc is a necessary success. I have zero doubt that Wirth captured his soul while playing this, and it is up to the individual listener to find out if said listener is able to identify the pivotal points of soul movements/activities lingering in this deliberate self-abduction.

This agenda, to capture the movement of the player's soul, is primordial, while the anatomical structure of the respective songs is only of secondary importance. In his review request, Dave Wirth wrote to me that he had to convince the producer to not use any after-effects and highly occult sonic-wizardry through the release, let everything stay natural, as it was upon the creation of the tracks. A noble and sane goal: these precedents were recorded with a myriad of microphones, and the production values indeed are top of the foodchain, as each and every receptor of the ensuing recording apparatus is directed into capturing the full register of the acoustic guitar. And there is a lot to be heard indeed, as frequencies demand full attention as they are finally given due time and real estate to claim their full share of murdered silence on.

A deeply intimate release, which openly emerges to fetishize the timeless charm of the acoustic guitar, and said instrument won't have a single complaint in store towards this relentless dynamic. A legitimate, thorough love affair for all acoustic guitar lovers. Listen at 4:03, at the end of the "Penumbra Nadir" song: is that a sound of digestion?

http://noiseshaft.blogspot.hu/2017/01/dave-wirth-flutters-review.html

We almost every time listen music with full of reverb and effects, the originality may sometimes missed. But this time something awesome has been happened. We are introducing Dave Wirth, a talented musician from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dave recorded 13 songs, 37 minutes with super chill acoustic guitar and without reverb or effects. All music was recorded in true punk rock style. All music was recorded in a single day at studio. Surprisingly it ended up being super relaxed and was far more interesting than originally planned.

http://www.callingallgigs.com/flutters-an-album-by-dave-wirth-who-recorded-38-minute-acoustic-guitar-music-with-no-effect/

Pretty cool!