Share - Pedestrian

by Malcolm Carter

published: 21 / 3 / 2009

Label: Forward Music Group
Format: CD

Atmospheric combination of Americana and electronica on third album from Halifax, Nova Scotia-based trio Share, two members of which also play in the Olympic Symphonium

Review

So now it all makes sense. Also reviewed in this issue is the second album by the Olympic Symphonium and that band shares (no pun intended) a couple of members with Share. Kyle Cunjak and Nick Cobham who play double bass and guitar respectively on this album are those members of the Olympic Symphonium. That’s as far as it goes though; both Cunjak and Cobham had a hand in composing songs on the Olympic Symphonium album but Share main man Andrew Sisk has written all the songs on ‘Pedestrian’, his third album heading the band Share. It would appear that Sisk has also written a fourth Share album which is due to be released later this year. Taking a fuller band sound than previous Share albums, Sisk and his band mates take their folk and country leanings and mix them in with electronic sounds to create an atmospheric and interesting collection of songs. All the songs here are well-constructed memorable tunes and while Sisk’s vocals are nothing special (the guy can sing but it’s a non-descript type of voice that we have all heard before) it’s the tunes that stay with you and the odd little things that happen that keep the listener interested…like the totally unexpected abrupt end to ‘Silhouette’ which had me checking my CD player for faults, then checking the CD before I realised that it was meant to be that way. Cool now I know, but annoying as every time I play that song in company I get asked if something is wrong with the player or CD. But Sisk is obviously trying to, and succeeding for the main part, to create something more long-lasting and substantial that the majority of his indie contemporaries. If his tunes weren’t so instant and appealing and if those quirky little things Sisk throws in were missing then Share would be just another indie-band with nothing to pull them out of the pack. But Sisk is obviously smart enough to realise that to keep our attention he needs something that all the other bands lack. Call it imagination, talent, ego or whatever you want but Sisk certainly does have that little extra needed to get his songs noticed in an overcrowded genre. Songs like ‘Continents’ are interesting both musically and lyrically, likewise ‘Murderer’, which has some intriguing musical noises going on throughout the song. Again Sisk has composed a catchy tune but gone that extra mile to make the song, short as it is, involving by utilising unusual sounds. When Sisk treats his vocals like on the aforementioned ‘Murderer’ and on ‘Dance Dance Revolution’ the effect adds a further dimension to his Eels-influenced songs and, much like 'E' Everett, he is unafraid to try odd things to make what are basically unexceptionable vocals more exciting. While not as instantly satisfying as The Olympic Symphonium album these ten songs are a perfect taster to the talents of Andrew Sisk and he must be applauded for breaking the mould and creating something different.

Track Listing:-

1 The Great Before
2 Too Shy to Blush
3 Silhouette
4 Foreign Church
5 Continents
6 Murderer
7 Dance Dance Retribution
8 Overtake
9 The Yard
10 The Dipper