The Alternative Star.com

Album: Shark Speed – Sea Sick Music

Released: May 12, 2009 independently

Hailing from Utah, Shark Speed is a quartet who has crafted a debut that will remind you of 90’s emo greats like The Promise Ring and Braid without ripping them off too much. The disc begins with “Cast Off Dance Off,” a tune with a soulful horn but don’t confuse this with ska. The sparse distorted guitar notes kick in soon underneath Joe Christensen’s vocals, which will remind of you a mix between Bob Nanna’s and Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos. “I’m a Machine” is one of the effort's best tracks, both upbeat and incredibly catchy. “And Are You in the Band?” is also great with its winding guitar lines. Truly the best part of Shark Speed’s sound are the guitar riffs and the math rock influence the band also has. “Sea Sick” on the other hand is only a minute and a half long, a short electronica instrumental that mixes up the record until the last track “Ten To Twenty Years” comes in. This song returns to a mid 90's emo sound until the horns and dance beats return, proving once again that Shark Speed succeeds well in taking something from the past and putting their own personal spins on it.

Final Verdict? 3.5/5

Reviewed by: Deborah Remus