Herbert / Shakes, The
Album: Shakes, The   Collection:General
Artist:Herbert   Added:Jun 2015
Label:Caroline/Astralwerks  

Album Review
Andrew Serna
Reviewed 2015-06-26
Herbert: The Shakes Label: Caroline
Matthew Herbert's highly-anticipated album, his first in over 9 years, isn't particularly dance-y but it's full of interesting ideas, taking his music in a different direction than what he's known for. There are a lot of dramatic and melancholy ballads, out-there kooky instrumentals, and strange stuff that challenges listeners. A lot of material is spooky and strange. Try: #3, #6, #9, #11.

1. "Battle" 7:06 - A serious and moody ballad. Soulful & dramatic vox.
2. "Bed" 6:08 - Pleading vox over a slow and melancholy track w/ moody tones.
3. "Even" 6:46 - Sad & lonely fem vox over big thumpin' breakbeats, a bit spooky
4. "Middle" 4:32 - Crispy beats & bright synths, electro-pop vox
5. "Ones" 1:16 - Space-y and drone-y interlude
6. "Peak" 10:32 - Thumpin' break-beat house, layered vox, melodic synths
7. "Safety" 4:27 - Out-there track, very spacey vox, blippy tones & sci-fi vibe
8. "Silence" 7:42 - Melancholy ballad w/ fem vox - also spacey
9. "Smart" 4:14 - Kooky electro-pop, jumbled-up melodies & odd crispy static
10. "Stop" 6:30 - Pleading vox and dramatic buildups
11. "Strong" 4:00 - Strange and kooky mix of noisy funk and beats
12. "Warm" 2:17 - Trippy ballad featuring mostly pleading

Track Listing
1. Battle   7. Safety
2. Bed   8. Silence
3. Even   9. Smart
4. Middle   10. Stop
5. Ones   11. Strong
6. Peak   12. Warm