The Shackeltons

AMG Review of The Shackeltons

Greg Prato
All Music Guide

Picture yourself walking into CBGB's (before the venue shut down, obviously) one late Sunday night -- which was renowned as being the venue's "tryout night" for hopefuls -- and a fitting soundtrack would be the self-titled 2008 release by the Shackeltons. It's not to say that the group sounds amateur-ish -- not at all -- it's just that the group has an unmistakable CBGB's sound about them (despite the fact that they hail from Chambersburg, PA). In other words, you get lead vocals from a gentleman who sounds like he's either extremely paranoid or on the verge of a nervous breakdown (an emo-ish David Byrne being a fitting comparison), and you get a lot of elastic, post-punk guitar explorations (ŕ la Mission of Burma) -- as evidenced by such standouts as the album opening "Your Movement" and "Tremble." But then just when you think you have the Shackelton lads figured out, the Joy Division-ish "Soft Heart" comes peaking around the corner. Like quite a few alt bands of the early 21st century, the Shackeltons are well versed in late-'70s/early-'80s punk history.