Smile Empty Soul –Shapeshifter
Tracklist:
- All in My Head
- Running out of Something
- Just One Place
- Silhouettes
- Nowhere Kids
- Bottom of a Bottle
On Friday, April 1, it was NOT a joke that Smile Empty Soul released a new six-song EP, Shapeshifter. The trio brings their signature guitar-driven, gritty vocals to this EP in a way that only they can. Shapeshifter also includes a DVD that showcases a music video, a short docu-film that allows fans to see the making of the EP, a well as a behind-the-scenes series of videos that cover their years of touring, studio sessions, and music video shoots.
With three original tracks, “All in My Head”, “Running Out of Something”, and “Just One Place”, with Shapeshifter, I was taken back to the days of seeing them live more than a decade ago in intimate venues in Cleveland. Fully in what I dub “Rock out in my desk” mode, I tapped my foot and bobbed my head along, like it hadn’t been years since I had heard anything from them. I found myself scanning my iTunes library for their older stuff and was pleasantly surprised when “Silhouettes” came on. I thought I had hit the button to play it, but it turns out, the guys have closed Shapeshifter with rerecorded versions of that song, along with “Nowhere Kids” and, everyone’s favorite, “Bottom of a Bottle”. It was almost like Smile Empty Soul anticipated listeners to want to click over to some of their hits, so they just recorded them again and put them on the end of the EP. Well played, guys. Well played. Needless to say, “Rock out at my desk” became simply “Rock out” mode, and I found myself singing along with every word that defined so many moments of youth, not only for me, but for countless fans as well.
If you’re a fan of the band, or just want to know what they’ve been up to, you need to get your mitts on this one. It is a great showcase of some of their new stuff we have all been clamoring for, as well as an awesome reminder of the timelessness and power of their lyrics and sound from one year to the next. I am going to give this one 4.5 skulls! Run, don’t walk, to pick up Shapeshifter.
Check out a little Shapeshifter teaser here … you’ll thank me later.
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