by Jeremy Burchard
Loud Nights captures a level of musical exploration indicative of Shane’s growth. You won’t hear the same drum sound twice on the record: a noticeable amount of detail went into sculpting a rhythm section unique with every tune. Sometimes it’s subtle, as in “Paper and Pen”; elsewhere it’s in our face, as with “Don’t Let Me,” adding a level of almost spastic energy. Vocally, Shane floats around a melody with a Sheryl Crowe-like sensibility. Indeed, the whole album is glued together by Shane’s steadily persistent vocals, which feel perfectly at home in “Fun Here,” “Summer Calling” and “Hazy Rose.” Much like the music, Shane’s lyrics vary from finely tuned simplicity to the esoteric. Recorded in 11 days in the sweltering summer heat of Austin, Loud Nights on a Short String is Shane’s most musically interesting offer to date.