SHARKS-The Joys of Living 2008-2010
Rise
April 5, 2011

These crazy Brits are about to turn rock and roll on its side. There aren’t many bands playing this style of music, even less that play it well, and SHARKS, a relatively young band, blow most of them out of the water.

There are three bands/artists that I hear when listening to The Joys of Living. The first is The Hold Steady. It wouldn’t be a completely crazy thought to consider SHARKS a British version of The Hold Steady. They both have a sound custom made for a night of partying, even though SHARKS are a little cleaner cut, and “It All Relates” would have easily made the cut on Heaven is Whenever. I also hear some Billy Bragg; mostly in the vocals. Singer James Mattock really sounds like Billy Bragg with his smooth yet rugged vocal tones. Finally, I’m reminded of The Clash, as they both seem to be able to play any style near flawlessly. Whether it be reggae, punk, rock or soul, SHARKS have the talent to pull it off.

This may sound a little bit greedy, but I already want to hear new material from this band. With this being a collection of earlier releases, I’m hoping that something new will be on the horizon soon. New stuff or not, I’m loving what SHARKS have written so far, and will be remembering this come the end of the year.

Written by: RF
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