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Pulse of the Twin Cities
’round the dial: Hem- and haw-free this week
By webmaster - Date: 2006-09-22 14:42:23
by TOM HALLETT
...
The Shimmers
The Way You Shine
2006
Transit Of Venus
OK, here’s the short version—Marah singer/songwriter Dave Bielanko and Philly-based chanteuse Eden Daniels started this project a few years back when they were involved in a torrid rock ‘n’ roll love affair. Things went haywire, the two split up, and the project was relegated to the back burner for the past several moons. Fast forward to 2005-6, the first blush is offa Dave’s band (I’m still waiting for the real follow up to Kids In Philly, boys), he and Eden are back on speaking terms, and producer Chris Unrath talks the pair, plus some special guests that just happen to include a few members of Dave’s band, into finishing the whole shebang.
So whattaya got at the end of the day? Just under a dozen tracks, some of which were written in a different time, place and heart-space, some of which were recorded earlier, and all of which feature the emotion-wracked vocal stylings of Ms. Daniels. Don’t worry: in this case, it’s a good thing. Granted, none of these cuts jump right out and smack your ears around like Marah’s “Catfisherman” or Lone Justice’s “Ways To Be Wicked” (Eden’s staunch, bluesy pipes recall a less rural Maria McKee at times), but after a few spins these melancholy, meandering anti-ballads start to worm their sugary little ways under your skin just as effectively.
Dave B.’s presence is most noticeable on the dreamy, easy pickin’ layering the majority of these tracks; there’s little of the barely-restrained youthful raunch so prevalent in his work with Marah on display here, and Unrath wisely lets the pair forge their own careless, love-weary ways through each number. Album opener “The Letter” takes a few listens to grow on you, then transforms into a cloudy-day anthem you’ll not soon forget, “Sun Goes Down” eases out on a broken wing and a moody sigh, Daniels nailing the gist of the album in one line: “... it took ten years to fade / The fear she shows / When she goes home, and the falling sound of it coming down / It pulls her inside so deep ...” This cut is a great showcase for the gorgeous harmonies, soul-stirring musical camaraderie and undeniable talent of the players here—a list which includes Marah drummer Ronnie Vance and (on other tracks) Dave’s brother/bandmate Serge on harmonica and beer—I’m not kidding—and top-notch sessioneers Bruce Langfeld on lap steel, violinist Jonathon Segel and multi-instrumentalist Mike Brenner.
Other stand-outs include the ringing, punch-drunk country nugget “My Whole Life,” the devastating, love-lorn chuff of “All My Days” (producer Unrath contributes a nifty axe solo here, as well as contributing six-string assistance on several other notable numbers), a half-serious reading of the traditional “Train, Train” (nope, not the Blackfoot song), and the holiday dazzler/album closer “Coal.”
All in all, a decent collection, and an aurally-pleasing—if rather belated and somewhat bittersweet —collaboration betwixt a pair of talented and interesting singer / songwriters with able assistance from a merry band of musical marauders. If you’re a Marah nut, you already know about this one; if ya just dig good old-fashioned singing, writin’, pickin’, an’ rockin’, give this one a whirl. Check it out at myspace.com/shimmersmusic.
http://pulsetc.com/article.php?op=Print&sid=2711&PHPSESSID=50650ac51dac5f8cc5d0b08aff3dc437
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Marah side project makes a star out of singer Eden Daniels,
as she takes the reins of a genre-hopping, live-off-the-floor kind of album.
The Shimmers
The Way You Shine
(Transit Of Venus)
US release date: 17 October 2006
UK release date: Available as import
by Jason MacNeil
Marah are still writing, recording and touring—just look at their recent live DVD. But like any other musicians, a change of pace and a change of taste is always a welcomed change. For Marah singer and songwriter Dave Bielanko, he might have found his side project heaven in The Shimmers. The Shimmers are a five-piece outfit based in Philly, with some of the city’s better singer-songwriters and musicians along for the ride. What makes the band work isn’t so much Bielanko’s beer-stained raspy vocals but singer Eden Daniels, the gal in the band who’s worked in Baby Flamehead (who would name any baby “Flamehead”?) and Gimme. Considering these songs were in the can since 1995 and accidentally found years later by Bielanko, this is a happy accident from which many will benefit.
Bielanko and Daniels seem to complement each other well, one a bit rough around the edges while the other is vocally sugar sweet. Comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti might come to mind during the slow, hypnotic and appealing folk pop of “The Letter”. It’s a very tender, engaging song that both artists downplay, Daniels often coming out above Bielanko’s vocals. And just when you might believe the song is going to break out into some Page / Plant folk rocker, they skip by the bridge and stride headlong into the next verse. This tone continues, albeit to a lesser extent, with the poppy, mystical “Sun Goes Down”, which has some fine guitar picking as well as some excellent violin accents courtesy of fellow Shimmers member Jonathan Segel (of Camper Van Beethoven fame). Think of a folksier, Appalachian version of something Natalie Merchant or Leigh Nash might attempt and the song becomes a bit clearer. The only snag with this effort is that it comes off as being half-finished, as if they never even considered adding 30 or 40 seconds of music to fully flesh out the lovely little nugget.
The music is timeless throughout, especially on the gorgeous folk piece “You Want More”, which is led by Daniels with Bielanko and the band supporting her when required with a rather sparse, haunting arrangement. It’s a fine line that the band walks here, not heading down the traditional folk road but trying at all costs to avoid the tired adult contemporary folk-pop realm. It’s this realm into which they seem to jump too quickly during “Small Grey House”, which doesn’t seem to play to any of the strengths shown thus far. A brief bridge seems to change the direction, but it’s not enough to salvage the number.
All is not lost, though, for The Shimmers shine beautifully on the precious cheerful pop ditty “Jesus Is My Friend”. Despite the religious overtones, this isn’t an extremely preachy tune, as Daniels takes the song by the reins and guides it through a gear-changing string of moments. It sounds like a track that would be perfect for Rosanne Cash. Unfortunately, the first real average number is the sullen and somber “My Whole Life”, which resembles the Cowboy Junkies at their finest. There’s a fine line The Shimmers often walk without any problems, but “Here I Stand” tends to fall off the rails, starting off with a slow Americana flavor and steadily layering instruments on top of it. It initially has promise but then seems to get stuck in a rather mediocre rut.
Just when you think all is lost, there is definitely some shimmer, er, light at the end of this tunnel, judging by the extremely pristine “All My Days”. It soars from start to finish, with an unusual feel as the verses steer the chorus along, not the other way around as is so often the case. And they don’t keep it short and sweet but fully flesh out the song the way it should be done. It’s an interesting selection considering that the next song has all the trademarks of a Johnny Cash tune, with its barren, chugging tempo and pace. The name of the song is, of course, “Train Train”.
A bonus song (although there’s only nine here to begin with) wraps things up—called “Coal”, it seems to be the second half of “Train Train”. Nonetheless, The Shimmers shine in some songs while others offer just a glimmer of their collective talents.
RATING: 
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— 9 November 2006
 Reviews
The back story: In 1995, Marah’s Dave Bielanko and then-girlfriend Eden Daniels of Philly’s Baby Flamehead started writing together. They drafted some friends, including Camper Van Beethoven violinist Jonathan Segel, dubbed themselves the Shimmers and started recording. But when Bielanko’s and Daniels’ personal relationship ended, so did the band, and all but one of the recordings—the bouncy Christmas duet “Coal,” included here as a bonus track—languished in producer/guitarist Chris Unrath’s studio archives. Now, with some extra polish and finishing touches, they’re seeing release as The Way You Shine. With Daniels’ clear, gently soulful voice up front, The Way You Shine rolls through a variety of acoustic-based folk-rock and singer-songwriter settings. Of the latter, “Here I Stand” and “My Whole Life” veer into merely pleasant Shawn Colvin territory. Better are the chugging “Train Train,” the moody, vaguely psychedelic “Sun Goes Down” and the bittersweet duet “The Letter.” The Way You Shine is no lost classic, but it is a found pleasure.
By Steve Klinge
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NEUFUTUR.COM
There is a very organic sound to The Shimmers’ opening to “The Way You Shine”. This has much more in common with the folk music of the late sixties and early seventies than anything in the current period. If anything, the only act in the last few years that The Shimmers can compare themselves to in the last few years would have to be Davison/Coleman. The presence of two vocalists in The Shimmers allows “The Way You Shine” to have a much fuller sound than would be the case if there was only one vocalist for the band.
The interesting thing with this album is that the tracks all have a very common instrumental sound, but the presence of these vocalists allow individuals to hear different facets of The Shimmers. “Sun Goes Down” continues this seventies sound to the point that there is a blend of Cat Stevens and traditional Irish music. This results in something classic sounding that is benefited completely by the very deft production values of the track. The fact that The Shimmers can add different elements (like the strings in “Sun Goes Down”) to their general sound so well shows that the band has talent well beyond the amount of years that they have been playing music together.
The tender sound of tracks like “You Want More” plays more to the folk leanings of The Shimmers, and while there is little more than a guitar and vocals during the opening section of this track, there is still a fullness that The Shimmers create. The interplay between the ropy, almost bass-like lines of the guitar and the vocals during this track further increases the enjoyment one can have at “The Way You Shine”. I would put The Shimmers alongside acts like Devendra Banhart and Vetiver, while the soulful, seventies sound distinguishes The Shimmer from all other individuals currently on the market. Each of the songs makes individuals think about the concepts and arrangements that The Shimmers insert into the track, while there is simultaneously a radio friendliness that will ensure that a wide swath of humanity that will listen to “The Way You Shine” will love this album. If you are a fan of any of these genres mentioned in the review, The Shimmers’ album “The Way You Shine” would be a smart purchase, that is for sure. Find this album before it goes out of print.
Top Tracks: Jesus Is My Friend, All My Days
Rating: 6.9 / 10
[JMcQ]
-James McQuiston
Editor, NeuFutur (print magazine)
Editor, http://www.neufutur.com (e-magazine)
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