Bayside Album: “Shudder”

With the release of Shudder by New York band Bayside, we get a new taste of the band. Going into the studio, the band intended a more punk sound on this album as opposed to their previous works. While it is not The Clash, The Ramones, or The Dead Kennedys, it does fall into what the music world today defines as punk rock.

Let me start with the bad, which is greatly outweighed by the good. Upon listening to the first track "Boy", we get a song that really gets you moving. The flaw we see here comes from vocalist Anthony Raneri. At one point in the song (2:45), we hear his voice take on what I heard described as a Josh Caterer impression (Caterer vocalist of Bayside influence Smoking Popes). This occurs during the album and does not please. It is hard to find an adjective that correctly fits here because the experimentation element is credible. However, the failure of it raises question.

Another aspect of the album is how it truly falls off at times. It should be noted that the tempo is usually picked up within a track or two. Take a song like Howard for example. With most other bands, I feel that song would be nothing more than a b-side. There are parts of it, like many Bayside songs, that we can take out and praise. Nonetheless, songs that only possess partially good elements should not make the final cut on a band's fourth full length studio effort. However, I feel it is more a slap on the wrist of producer David Schiffman than the band.

Now to the positive elements. Let's start with the music. Whether it is the guitar work, smooth bass lines, or the uptempo drumming, we see it all flow together positively. Jack O'Shea continues to grow on each Bayside album and has put himself in a new class of guitarists. His solos are complex and fast, something we don't see with many Bayside contemporaries. The bass lines seem to flow well with the mood of the songs as well. They help fill out the bottom quite well, not overpowering at all. Nick Ghanbarian truly shows his understanding of the bass. Chris Guiglielmo also deserves credit for sufficiently taking over for the late John "Beatz" Holohan. The drumming seems energetic, especially standing out on a song like "A Call to Arms".

To help bring all the songs together is Raneri's lyrics. Not only does he call himself out, but provides a social commentary. Questioning of those who watch MTV for their individuality always makes a song interesting. The one element I feel that should be pointed out is how Raneri does not shy away from big words and themes. Andrew Elderbaum did this as well (previous lyricist before his 2004 departure). "I am a slave to this, I am a masochist" will surely have some listeners searching for the meaning. However, it is reassuring to know that Raneri will reach out to great lengths to avoid the melodramatic lyrics of contemporary bands. Much like he did on 'The Walking Wounded' with songs like "I & I".

Overall, this album was a strong, solid effort by a season band. It can be argued as their best work; that all depends on what you have come to expect out of this band. If you are looking for their dark lyrics and themes of their first album 'Sirens & Condolences', move along. However, if you have fell in love with Bayside through more recent works, you will appreciate this album much more. Much of the faults can be attributed to the producer instead of the band, which is great for fans to hear. We are now reassured that solid work such as this is genuine and not a product of corporations. We are experiencing music from four real and talented musicians.