Album Review: Sharks - No Gods

Album Rating: A-

Having played alongside bands such as the Gaslight Anthem, Gallows, and Crime in Stereo, Sharks are by no means newcomers to the music scene.  However, it is hard for a band to truly establish themselves without first having a full length album under their belt. This was the case for the English punk rockers in Sharks up until the recent release of their debut LP, No Gods: a lighthearted and thoughtfully-written album that confirms the talent demonstrated by Sharks’ on their two previous EPs.  The band’s driving and undeniably charming brand of accessible punk (more suitably called alternative on this release) proves that they are not trying to be anything other than what they are: four guys brought up on punk music looking to return the favor.

Sharks Stream New Song

Diversity and Rise Records was something I never thought to hear in the same sentence. The addition of Sharks to their lineup was extremely curious, and the band's new song definitely seems to not belong with the rest of the label. Taking after bands like The Gaslight Anthem and The Clash, Sharks produces songs that simply are the definition of rock and roll. The band's new song, "Sweet Harness", definitely has that Gaslight Anthem-esque twang to the guitar parts, though lead singer James Mattock doesn't have that uniqueness that Brian Fallon has. The song is definitely a great introduction to Sharks, and The Joy Of Living 2008-2010 will be released on April 5th. Until then, if you like the band's Facebook page, you can stream "Sweet Harness".

WTF Week Continues - Rise Records Signs Sharks

Rise Records just seems to be turning all sorts of heads this week. And there's still more to go. But until then, let's focus on Sharks. To be honest, I've never heard of this band before. Now that they've signed, I hope they get the recognition they deserve. Coming from Britain, they are teaming up with Rise to release the material they recorded during their first two years as a band. The band can best be described as a British The Gaslight Anthem or Fake Problems, performing that rock and roll/Americana (even though they're British) sound very well. As with Man Overboard and Transit, I'm curious to see what the future will be with these bands. They obviously can't tour with the usual Rise bands, so i expect some interesting tours ahead. At the very least the distribution of Rise will launch all the bands' popularity to a new level. Check out Sharks' Facebook page right here. The album is out April 5th.