Shiver - Shiver

Shiver 

​Shiver 
​self-released; 2017

3.6 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Justin Blair (guitar/key/vocals), Shea Jaenicke (vocals), Rosalind Darbeau (violin/vocals) and Daniel Lyman (drums) are Shiver. Apparently the band came from around the country to form in LA. The band released an ten-song self-titled album Shiver.

​I was nearing the end of the album and the one word that came to mind was intense. There are blaring guitar solos, anthemic choruses and lots of distortion. This a rock band through and through and I heard a lot of influence from ’80s and ’90s rock to my ears.

​The album was recorded in bedrooms and garages. This is the type of album that unfortunately doesn’t thrive with lo-fi. The structure of the songs and delivery leans towards arena rock. In order for that sound to thrive the production and recording quality has to be commercially viable.

This is the one area I hope that Shiver can find a way to improve on their next effort. As someone who has worked as an engineer I say that these songs deserve proper studio polish that can make them hits.  

Up first is “Through the Night” which really comes out of the gate with unrelentless energy. I can absolutely hear a late ’80s early ’90s vibe - loud rock n’ roll which doesn’t stop till the song is over. The anthemic quality is apparent when he sings “whatever gets you through the night.” 

You don’t get much of a breather. “For You,” “Madeline” and “Runaway Love” all feel like rock anthems. “Moonlight” is a Bon Jovi-esque type rock ballad. I could picture lights in the air at a stadium.

Shiver plays a style of music that is no longer commercially viable in the mainstream and rarely represented in the underground. It’s a style that hit its peak around twenty years ago. I think these facts go in their favor. There are still lots of fans of this style of rock. If you are a fan of bands like the L.A. Guns, Mötley Crüe and more this is a band you will want to check out.

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