Shaky Hands
(Kill Rock Stars)
Reportedly known as a must-see live act in their hometown of Portland, Ore., The Shaky Hands certainly suggest they may be more comfortable on-stage than in the studio on their jittery second album. That's not meant as a dig, because the music on Lunglight is nothing if not expressive; the jabbing guitars and nervous vocals of singer Nick Delffs sound too feral to be caged within an iPod or CD player. These guys need room to roam, and pity the handler who tries to keep them from doing so.
Given that The Shaky Hands are an indie-rock band in 2008, the influence of David Byrne and Talking Heads is evident throughout Lunglight, particularly in Jeff Lehman's jumpy guitar-playing on "Wake the Breathing Light" and "A New Parade," but the music is also darkened with shades of Murmur-era R.E.M. and the more-contemporary yearnings of Kings of Leon. In fact, Delffs' mumble-screamed vocals could easily be mistaken for those of the Kings' equally tortured singer, Caleb Followill.
Despite whatever traits he may share with more-popular frontmen, Delffs is a find. When he lets loose with an unexpected howl, he seems less interested in catharsis than he does in proving the myth of spontaneous human combustion. "We are living in wartime," he sings on the album's best track, "Loosen Up," pausing briefly before warning: "And in my head and outside/ There is nothing that you can say/ There is nowhere to hide." Prepare yourself, and be sure to give the man his space.
Standout tracks: "Loosen Up," "We Are Young" JAKE CLINE
