Top Shelf – The Sound
1.) Moonlights
2.) Under Arrest
3.) The Sound
4.) Live In Your Dream
5.) Waiting
6.) Fire and Ice
7.) More Than A Feeling
8.) Finding Out
9.) We The People
10.) Grace Awakes
11.) We Still Burn
12.) No Money In My Dreams
13.) Lift Up
14.) No More
15.) No More (RMX)
16.) Rather Than A Billion
The Pier Album Rating:
Record Label: Highest Vibration Music
Release Date: May 24th, 2011
Group Background:
Hailing from Ukiah, California Top Shelf is a quartet made up of members: Carter Lane (vox) , Korey Ross (guitar), Chad Goodin (bass), and Drew Nicoll (drums) known for high energy live performances and leaving fans with something special, Top Shelf lays it all on the table every time they play. Each show is a unique experience of crowd participation and one of a kind musical solos.
Album Review:
When roots reggae meets heavy rock, Top Shelf’s The Sound is born. The guys did an awesome job at making the perfect blend of reggae rock when making this album which stands as a great musical showcase of this young band’s talent. The album is filled with compelling guitar solos, reggae inspired melodies, and a relentless groove. And did I mention a bad ass hidden track?
Moonlights, the first single off the album, is lively, catchy and a perfect way to start your listening experience. The entire album is charged with high frequency guitar solos, sprinkled with evocative lyrics and accentuated with airy-lighthearted tracks like Finding Out which also features coot of Mystic Roots Band gracing the track with his trademark beat-boxing and dope lyrics; a definite highlight. Diversity in subject matter makes an album more interesting and Top Shelf ‘s consciousness in their lyrics add depth to this album.
We The People is a perfect example of their political consciousness and strong opinions about what is going on in the world around us. The album finds an ideal balance between conscious, fun and romantic lyrics. We Still Burn is a lovely ballad that features a female vocalist, Gina Marie Lo Monaco, a perfect supplement to the already heartfelt lyrics. Another track with a poignant message is No Money In My Dreams. It’s introspective and simply encourages the listener to follow your dreams; simple yet cunning.
Lift Up is my favorite as it does just what the title says, it’s upbeat, empowering and the epitome of what reggae is all about; good vibes with a positive message. As the album progresses with consistency in each song it hits a bump in the road when it comes upon a remixed track of No More turned dubstep, and although the remix is fairly well executed, I feel it slightly interrupts the album’s fluidity. The addition of horns to a few of the tracks was a great detail and added to the album’s complexity and diversity of musical elements.
The Sound is a very well constructed album, I feel that the addition of Korey Ross to the already talented band line up, was like a match made in heaven. His laudable guitar skills put the “rock” in Top Shelf”s reggae rock style.The band has developed a very distinct sound and demonstrate their blossoming talent and ability to execute a solid opus for reggae and rock fans alike. The Sound is definitely a nice album to have in your music collection.
Written & Reviewed by: Mariana Norcalchika Rojas
~Let The Music Take You Higher~
[Editors Note: All reviews are reflective of the album in it’s entirety, from start to finish. These reviews are the honest opinion of each writer/reviewer, expressing their feedback as a genuine fan of the music. Each star rating reflects their review of the album, not the band. Music is subjective. Regardless of the review or star rating, we encourage you to listen to the music yourself & form your own opinion. Spread the awareness of all music in its art & contribution]