The fourth album from
Brett Sova's
Axis: Sova project is the first to be recorded by a full-band lineup rounded out by guitarist
Tim Kaiser and bassist
Jeremy Freeze. Cut live to tape by the trio, the album is more focused and direct than past efforts, with a cleaner, scrubbed-up sound (the
Stones-riffing title is no joke) and a greater presence of hooks. The druggy, art-damaged effects prominent throughout earlier releases are largely absent here -- only a chilly echo underlines
Sova's voice on the slow, stark "Same Person Twice." Beyond that, the album is filled with riff-happy boogie rock tunes framed by a primitive drum machine, but serving the same purpose as a motorik-style drummer, and embellished by shaker percussion. Opener "Terminal Holiday" settles on a chorus of "I feel so low, Romeo," and its mix of sunny and downbeat feelings is present throughout the rest of the record. Uptempo tunes like "New Disguise" and "Crystal Predictor" approach power pop, but the guitars are wild and fuzzy enough to betray psych roots, particularly during solos. "Dodger" features clear harmonies twisting around an offbeat rhythm, sounding like a warped interpretation of a '70s rock radio hit.
Shampoo You is clearly a step toward accessibility, and it's easily the most cohesive
Axis: Sova effort to date, but there's still enough weirdness to indicate that the group could never quite play it completely straightforward. This, of course, is precisely what makes them so interesting, and why
Shampoo You is one of their most appealing albums.