Loyola Greyhound

Issue date: 10/28/08 Section: Arts & Society

Media Credit: Photo Courtesy of Michelle Cable Jersey Shores is the latest CD from Seattle rock outfit, AKIMBO. The band focuses on its solid instruments with powerful guitar riffs and pulsing drum beats.

AKIMBO, the Seattle rock band, has been releasing consistently strong records since 2002. That being said, I have listened to every one of them.

There is something satisfying in the riffs, and a genuine harmony between bass, drums and guitar.

In a pop-vocals-centric world, Akimbo stands alone. In this way I had high hopes for Akimbo's new album Jersey Shores. I cannot say I was floored by the new album and all of its sludgy goodness, but I can say that to some extent I finished each song with a feeling of…fulfillment.

Throughout the album there is a sort of ebbing and flowing feel to the tracks. This is (possibly me reading too much into it) but a mimicry of the Album name itself and the tides synonymous with the Jersey Shore. The lapses from slow and quiet to fast and loud are surprisingly seamless and add to the overall flow of the album.

When there isn't a face melting guitar riff, there's chest pumping bass or intense drumming and these three elements play in smoothly with the lyrics for the most part. If anything, AKIMBO can be described as smooth. The lyrics are unintelligible, but they are clearly not the focus. AKIMBO's focus is instrumentals.
Track by track, Jon Weisnewski's Bass is haunting. That's what really makes one want to listen to the tracks a few more times.

In today's music, the driving bass is so often absent and in this album it is anything but. Jon's voice is as usual a bit grating which can be useful in this genre…and you have to admit that he can scream.

Aaron Walters puts up another good show on guitar, at times frantic and at times mellow and resonant, he's proven himself versatile time and time again.
There's one point in the track "Jersey Shores" where the guitar is only playing a fluttering riff in conjunction with the bass and the drums, as there's a decrescendo to the end, and it could not be a more satisfying end to the CD, fading out at the perfect moment for closure… And then it picks right back up! That, my friends, is crazy-good.

Nat Damm is responsible for percussion, and should be praised for all he does. Not only is his drumming supportive and intuitive of the music but at a high level of difficulty. Props to him.

The CD begins and ends with real-time sounds of the tide, very Zen, very nice. My final verdict is that you should listen to AKIMBO. Anyone should for the sheer musicality.

It's hard to find this level of ingenuity, talent and pure scrunge these days. Some of their other records may be better choices, but hey, if Jersey Shores is the only choice you have and you're stranded with no hope of purchasing another CD, you are not bad off at all, my friend.

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