SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN – PRESSURE

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown
Pressure
Spinefarm Records

For the last decade, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown have been among the most promising up and coming rock bands making waves throughout the underground scene. Their latest album, Pressure, follows 2019’s Shock & Awe, and continues to raise the bar for what fans should expect from the band and straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll in 2020.

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown open Pressure with the dark and hard-hitting title track. With Bryant’s gravelly vocals coming through a megaphone followed by a slithering guitar riff reminiscent of Slash, the track, and subsequently the record, kick off with an explosive open that feels larger than life. “Pressure” is an absolutely massive track that is simply undeniable. The band then chases the title track with a stripped- down blues number slightly more on the lo-fi side of the sonic spectrum. The two tracks complement each other and paint a balance between modern hard rock of the past twenty years and the blues rock of the ‘70s.

Throughout the 13tracks, it is most clear that Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown are at their best when they’re at their heaviest and – quite contrastingly so – when they dig deep into the blues. The haunting “Backbone” with throaty vocals nostalgic for the late Scott Weiland, the moody blues ballad “Misery”, the shaky shuffle of “Fever”, the AC/DC inspired “Automatic”, and the opening two tracks. stand as incredible highpoints for the band. On the other hand, Pressure falls flat when the band strays into a more mainstream vibe with ballads like “Loner” and the recent single “Crazy Days”.

Pressure is a heavy rock record that exceedingly delivers on the simple promise that Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown’s image proposes: Pressure rocks hard. Is it the most intricate album? No. Are a handful of songs a touch cheesy? Yes. Does that stop Pressure from standing strong among the new wave of classic rock? Hell no. Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown capture the true essence of the ‘70s and ‘80s with a blues-inspired hard rock album that sounds almost as if it was discovered in a crate of old vinyl. Even through its faults, if the album proves anything, it’s that the band are at their strongest and most unique carving their own trail, rather than following in the trends of today’s active rock. Most impressively, however, Pressure remains distinct to Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown’s modern style. Even among their peers, there really isn’t a band delivering pure, unadulterated rock ‘n’ roll quite like Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown on Pressure.

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