Album Feature: Take It All Back by Shifties
When listening to a song, you’ll usually know if it’s good just by the first few seconds of the intro. The intros on this album worked no differently. The titles are really neat and give you a helmet to put on as you drive into each song. The whole album carries this classic, almost British rock feel. It reminded me a lot of The Drums, Heatmiser, and Elliott Smith at different points. It’s the kind of music that you tap your foot and flip a coin to the beat to.
One thing I really appreciated about this album was how the band proves that great lyricism doesn’t have to be overly complex or packed with flowery language. A lot of these songs are built around simple phrases and straightforward messages. Good lyrics stick. Take It All Back caught me. The choruses land because they’re memorable, and lines like “All we have is forgiveness” carry a lot of weight without trying too hard.
The first listen of any album is always scary. There’s a certain scrutiny that comes with it, especially when every song is brand new and fighting for your attention. Thankfully, these songs passed that test for me. There’s a little bit of everything here: softer trackers, louder tracks, reflective tracks and songs built for summer.
My favorite moments in this album were the songs where the vocals really broke through the dam of instruments and went center stage. Tracks like “Built Upon” and “December” especially stood out to me because they let both the songwriting and the performance breathe and be heard. Overall, Take It All Back is the kind of album that’s easy to sink into. It’s packed with memorable lyrics, hooks, and heart.
