The Shivas- Where have you gone to?
(World in Sound WIS 3004)


From Aural Innovations #39 (May 2008)

The Shivas are a very young new band from Vancouver, Washington who live in the late 60’s! The CD features 13 tracks in 69 minutes. Pretty much all the songs are written by singer and guitarist Jarid. The CD begins with the title track, which is a really great song, just under 6 minutes with some nice jamming with guitar and djembe. Peele’s Parfume Garden is another over 6 minute track with a bit of a stoned surf kind of riff and some nice organ and a bit of Syd Barrett like guitar at times and some stoned vocals. The Ballad of Grant Whitney starts with some people talking first in German but then in Danish! Wow… This is a more organ based track and a really cool one as well. A lot of variety and styles on this CD and we are only on the third track. The vocal is very Dylan like. Big Man is a uptempo 60’s rocker with a cool groove. Love features the acoustic guitar and a heavy bass and those airy 60’s style psychedelic vocals. Mr. Marmalade has a stoney groove and laid back nature and Jarid has plenty of time and space for some nice guitar. Butter Sun is a laid back 8 minute track that reminds me of old Pink Floyd (69-71 era). Sunny Afternoon features some nice acoustic guitar picking. Flying High
and The War song and Ode to a Tea Set are all more acoustic laid back tracks but a nice mixture of Syd Barrett and Dylan. Doctor Doctor brings back the psychedelic rock and this one is totally like the Doors. The organ sound and playing as well as the guitar and the singing as well. A long lost Doors track from 1967? The CD ends with Sit Anywhere and is a 9 minute track with very basic sitar playing and a more psychedelic mix on the vocals than any other track. A long strange trip indeed. A great debut CD. If this record had been mixed in a more psychedelic fashion and had some really cool creative and not so boring artwork it could have turned out into an all time classic psychedelic rock record but it still is great stuff.

Check out the record label web site at:http://www.worldinsound.com
Check out the band web site at: http://www.theshivas.com

Reviewed by Scott Heller


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