Nathan TR Shaw: Time Flies When You Are Sitting Still – Music Review

20121215_0659Nathan TR Shaw’s soon to be released debut album “Time Flies When You Are Sitting Still” spans a wide range of sounds, from blues-tinged numbers to country/bluegrass and even a Latin-flavored track. A native of the Cincinnati/Dayton, Ohio area, Shaw’s new album marks the culmination of a lifelong love of music as both a fan and musician.

Track 3 “Help is on the Way” is one of the better tracks early in the album. It is based on a bluesy guitar riff and the lyrics seem to hint at emotional frustration but promise that things will look up soon. “Nebraska Song” is a nice short track that’s basically a foot-stomping instrumental reminiscent of a southern hoe-down. Its followed by “Big Heart (That’s True)” which also has a country feel with slide guitar and features some catchy male/female duetting.

One of Shaw’s early influences

was Jimi Hendrix, and that can be heard on “Detritus” where he elicits some impressive wailing solos from his electric guitar. A quick search of You Tube turns up his instrumental “Holy Frijoles”, which though not on the album, is a great showcase of Shaw’s impressive finger work on guitar.

The tail end of the album features “You’re a Mess”, a track that adds a bit of electro-blips and a synth line to some crunchy guitar chords. On “Bolivia” Shaw does an impressive job of assembling a Latin-tinged track with a mixture of English and Spanish vocals, maraca percussion and traditional hand claps. It seems to channel a beach side resort somewhere in Mexico with margaritas not far away.

Shaw strikes a pensive note on “Perfect”, a gentle track where he spins a touching tale of true love. This leads into the album closer “Wasted Day”, which is probably the highlight of the set. The track features a catchy chorus and clever vocals about being frustrated with what he’s been able to accomplish in his day, but like the album as a whole, the message is that persistence pays off and there’s always a new day around the corner.

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For More Information Visit:
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http://www.nathantrshaw.com

 

Author: Gabe Vigh

Gabe is a Cambridge, MA based writer, photographer and artist. He is a big fan of recycling, Bob's Burgers, and a bit of a weather buff.