Hello Gorgeous!- A New Shakey Graves

Score: 8.8/10

For those of you who don’t know him, Alejandro Rose Garcia, more commonly known as Shakey Graves, made his mark with his first studio album, And The War Came, in 2014. Up until that point, , Rose Garcia had certainly been holding his own and impressing the world preforming as a solo artist, with only his guitar and a kick drum he fashioned out of a vintage Samsonite suitcase. Through his work on And The War Came, Shakey crafted a sound that was a beautiful blend of classic country, folk, blues, and rock and roll, placing him somewhere in the ranks of what might be considered an Americana artist. He supplemented his classic solo sound with vocals from Esme Patterson and enlisted his pal, Chris “Boo” Booshada to play the drums. The trio developed a feel good, classically raw sound that satisfied a desire for music of an older world.

Now, Shakey Graves is back again! And not only has he delivered his newest EP, Look Alive, but a YouTube mini-series to supplement the band’s new work, and I can hardly contain my stoke.

Titled, Hello Gorgeous, the mini-series, that was released early April 2020, was used to help illuminate the world to the origins of Shakey Graves, beginning primarily as a solo project and eventually evolving into its current state as a band of 4. While Esme Patterson was not instated as a permanent member of the band, Hello Gorgeous introduces us to two new lovable jokers, Patrick O’Connor and Jon Shaw. Additionally, Rose Garcia wanted to show the world the process behind the making of their music. Each episode serves as a road map from creation to release of of the songs on the new EP and provides Rose Garcia with a platform to show off his animation skills and visual creativity. Not to mention, Hello Gorgeous provides us a with just a a taste of the sheer, subtle comedic genius that is Alejandro Rose Garcia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0rcaJ9YInc

As told through the episodes of the mini-series, the band is taking an intentional step in a new direction as far as sound goes with Look Alive. Still drawing on traditional Shakey sounds, there are obvious notes of rock and folk leftover from past projects; however, the band is now heading in a more soulful, spooky, psychedelic direction. Throughout the Hello Gorgeous mini-series, we return to an image of an off-kilter haunted house. These Lo-fi jams embody the feeling you might have as you waked through that haunted house; a sound that is somewhat unsettling, but triggers your curiosity, enticing you to walk on.

Check out Look Alive, and do just that before embarking on this sonic adventure. This EP catches you somewhat off-guard, especially for those who are more accustomed to the country-folk inspired sounds of Shakey Graves, but by the end, you’ll find yourself dying for the rest of the tour through the haunted house…