AMG Review of Let It Die

Marisa Brown
All Music Guide

Portland's the Shaky Hands, who had an, uhh, shakeup of their own in 2008 when founding member and drummer Colin Anderson left the group, seem to have been left none the worse from the experience, with new drummer Jake Morris handling the percussive duties on Let It Die, the band's third full-length, with no problems. References are plenty on the disc -- fellow Pacific Northwesterners the Thermals, with whom the Shaky Hands toured before the recording of this album, the Hold Steady, the power pop of Big Star, the heartland rock of John Mellencamp, the '90s alt-rock of the Gin Blossoms. Even the title was one already used by an unnamed Canadian indie rock /iTunes goddess. Still, there are moments here that stick -- the opening chords of the title song, the subtle catchiness of the hook in "Already Gone" -- and one shouldn't insinuate that the Shaky Hands are trying to copy anyone. The band would truly move into its own, however, with a stronger sense of self.