Album Review: Shy Girls Gives Sweet Vocals In “Salt”
Debut albums are so exciting because they are like the musical equivalent of meeting someone for the first time. Their first released single is like the first handshake or glance you give this new person, and the rest of their tracks are like the great conversation you have that night, of which you walk away impressed by their mind and heart. Shy Girls has sincerely impressed me with his debut album Salt, and given a good R&B inspired discussion on love.
R&B and love are the like two hands shaking the other, and in Salt, Shy Girls meshes this soulful genre with impressionism. Like in a painting, he waters down the synths and muddles the sound to flow into the other, while he sings like a soft needle piercing through the waves. Shy Girls voice is gentle and boyish, which will charm listeners who will be curious as to how this youthful voice has aged so much in the workings of love. Moreover, the boyishness of his voice will further the intimacy he brings to his lyrics. He sings them like he is having a personal conversation with the listeners, and going closer to their ears to give his most inner thoughts. Hence, there is a subtle, cool forwardness to his style that draws in listeners because it feels so casual. Song like, “Trivial Motion” and “What If I Can” are some of my favorite tracks and have an electro vibe that makes Shy Girls voice come off very George Michael: friendly but seductive.
Sometimes, the most sultry and charming thing a person can do is be kind. There is a sweetness to Salt as a record that carries its beats like a generous heart. Going off on the child-like nature of Shy Girls approach to love, it is his innocence at craving and misunderstanding love as power that makes you want to lean into his music. Songs like , “You Like Pain Too” and “I Am Only A Man” will have everyone enthralled because they represent the confusion of love as suffering. I’ll admit that I still struggle to fully separate love with or as pain because often the ones that hurt us most are the ones that we have loved most. Why? Because love is taking down your armor, and handing it over to someone whom you believe will protect you. Tracks such as “Say You Will”, “Time”, and “Collecting” further love as the dreams you swim in to feel safe and stable. Again, using a musical style of impressionism, he makes sonics that sound like a river crashing on the pebbles and plants that are the highs and lows of relationships. Yet, no matter what crash, that river keeps clear and running,
but with what partner remains to be seen.
Shy Girls’ Salt is an excellent debut because it is an easy listen. Each song can be popped on without any afterthought of whether you are truly in the mood for its music because Shy Girls put you in the mood for his music. Usually, we choose songs according to what we are feeling at the time, but Shy Girls makes you feel so much for him that he transforms your mood into his own, and it is a good mood. For More Information on Shy Girls And To Buy Salt Click Here.
