Sunday 26 December 2010

Ari Shine - Ghost Town Directory


Ari Shine is quickly becoming the singer/songwriter to watch in 2011. He plays roosty rock with an eye for lyrical detail and an ear for classic pop song-craft. The heartfelt melodies and unfiltered lyrics he delivers retain the same unabashed hooks and energy whether in solo acoustic performance or with full band backing.

Speaking on the creation of his new album Ghost Town Directory, Shine says “My last album A Force Of One was purposely going after a classic late 70’s power pop sound, even going so far as to use veteran producer Earle Mankey to recreate the vibe of that era. I did a ton of touring after that album, much of which was solo acoustic shows and I decided that before I recorded my new album I was just going to write songs on my acoustic guitar not geared toward any specific genre; just songs that worked by themselves without outside adornment.”

Gutsy rockers like the opening “All I’ve Got is Love” (co-written with Shine’s wife Adrienne Pierce, also a noted performer) and the hometown kiss-off “Against the Night” mingle with more atmospheric tracks like “Here With Me” and “Simple”, the latter featuring rich pads of harmonies in a decidedly 70s vein. Though he tackled all the instruments and vocals during the sessions, drums were handled by LA traps master Chris Cano, best known for his work in another Shain produced project Orson, as well as hip hop/Latin rock road warriors Ozomatli.

While Shine has built his songwriting skills and performance chops playing in live bands since the age of 15, in recent years he has become a go to songwriter for buzz acts and established artists alike. Some of his notable co-writes include tracks on albums by The Secret Handshake, Josie Cotton, Gaby Moreno, Into the Presence and Thousand Watt Stare.

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