By CHRIS RANDAZZO
of the Gazette
"Shakedown," theStart's debut release, is a polished, pulsing combination of musical styles that could vault the band into the national spotlight.
The band's sound blends new-wave synthesizers and rhythms with crunchy guitars, pop vocals and a bit of a punk attitude to create music that is fresh, but has familiar undertones.
Lead singer Aimee Echo's vocals are at the heart of the music, they sound like the Go-Gos with an attitude. They have that same catchy pop flavor to them, but seem to convey anger more often than anything else.
The distorted guitar further adds to the intensity of the sound, while the synthesizer add a dance-party feeling to the mix. There is also something about the sound that gives it something of an '80s feel.
The title-track, "Shakedown," kicks off the CD with a bang and sets the tone for the rest of the disk. It features all of the elements mentioned above.
Conversely, "Glimmer Man" has much more of a new wave feel and emphasizes just the vocals and synthesizer. It's still a great song though.
"Nemesis" is probably the hardest song on the album. Its sparse sound, punctuated with a simple, pounding drumbeat and occasional distorted guitar give it quite an edge.
Conversely, "Time" is the band's version of a slow song. Echo's vocals have a soft feel to them on the track and the lack of guitar along with the synthesizer part gives it an airy, haunting quality.