Written
by Mike Yoder, posted by blog admin
Minneapolis’
Shofar has returned to action with a six track self titled EP that finds the
Larry Hagner led outfit revisiting the glories of their initial run with a new
found perspective that represents a real advancement from their older releases.
The songwriting definitely stands apart, particularly lyrically, from standard
rock fare, but it’s distinguished with a number of light touches emphasizing
its melodic aspects and the recording belies their indie status with its
polished, even sophisticated sound. This is a collection rife with
accessibility and authenticity alike while they punctuate every track with an
intelligence and idiosyncratic flourish that’s all their own. Shofar’s return
to active ranks definitely fares a lot better than other such “comebacks” from
acts big or small and, even if the musical landscape has changed a great deal,
they sound poised to build on their long-standing reputation.
“Running”
sets an early desperate tone. Even the more muted verses, with sketched out
electric guitar weaving tense melodic lines around Larry Hagner’s voice and
lyrics, crackle with unsettled energy. It occasionally erupts into some
ferocious riffing quite unlike anything else on the release. “Powerman”,
however, is a complete shift into acoustic influenced pop rock harkening more
to the classic British rock side of the spectrum with a little California
sunshina-via snowy Minneapolis tossed in for good measure. The addition of
backing vocalists makes it an all the more enjoyable musical ride and the six string
jangle coming through on the tune is a little reminiscent of The Byrds as well.
Hagner’s lyrical acumen remains at a high level for the song “Shades of Grey”
and the musical mood finds him asserting a little more rock edge without ever
exploring any of the harsh power we heard from the EP’s first cut. “Hands
Down”, however, should be offered up as Exhibit A that, given the right
inspiration, Larry Hagner has conclusively mastered the art of writing a top
shelf rock gem. The chorus of this tune makes it priceless and it’s
invigorating to hear the band seamlessly shift into a higher gear.
“Countdown”
and the EP closer “The Coming” are more overtly introspective and thoughtful
material than much of what we hear from this Shofar release/ The first of those
two songs is particularly fascinating as it’s essentially a depiction of the
world ending and rife with details that show Hagner’s eye for specificity is
quite powerful. “The Coming” is a little more poetic minded, but it’s an ideal
marriage of music and lyric with, arguably, Hagner’s best vocal performance on
the EP. Shofar’s first run didn’t last nearly long enough and we can only
assume, based on the strength of this release, that this time they’ve returned
with the aim of fulfilling that early promise.
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