At first listen, Philadelphia foursome, Sheer Mag's sound is reminiscent of something you've heard before. Maybe it's because singer Christina Halladay's raspy growls laid over glittery garage guitar would sound perfect crackling out of the cassette player of a 70's Pontiac Firebird. But nostalgia aside, it's sonically and lyrically all brand new. The band recently released the video for their single, "Suffer Me" visually partnering the fidgety scaling guitar-laden song with visions of a sinister figure donning a black robe ornamented with a single Sheer Mag logo. There's also clips of the band leaning into their vintage sound by singing in a smoky room filtered in VHS video quality.
Even though their debut EP, Need to Feel Your Love is made up of all the things your classic rock dreams are made of, there are also noteworthy power pop moments, like the title track "Need to Feel Your Love" that's hard to listen to without choreographing your own Jackson 5 style dance moves in your head. There are also plenty of nods to our current climate with politically charged lyrics in tracks like "Expect the Bayonet," where Halladay sings, "I've been reading the news and you'll surely regret /if you don't give us the ballot / expect the bayonet" and " With its soulful, poignant, and studied sound, Need to Feel Your Love plays like an A+ dissertation on everything that has historically created every great classic garage rock song. Need to Feel Your Love is out Friday, July 14 via Wilsuns RC.
