As I listen to the new album Sun Marquee by Austin-based multi-instrumentalist Abram Shook I try to pick up some sort of consistency in his songs—as I do with all the music I write about—to be able to come up with genres it may fit into and to help me write a little something about it, but the only thing I've grasped so far is that no two songs are really alike. Shook's dreamy debut solo album is "all shook up" (har har har) in terms of musical direction. With one song you're grooving along to a soulful jazzy tune, then you're bouncing around to an upbeat indie pop jam, and the next one shoots you down a tunnel of syncopated psychedelia.
A spirited world traveler and apparently a big fan of Serge Gainsbourg, Shuggie Otis, fellow genre bender David Bowie, and Brazilian music, Abram Shook does a great job of drawing from his multitude of worldly influences to create a well-balanced eclectic record that hooks you upon first listen. If this great mixture of sunny pop songs has anything consistent about it, it's Shook's effortlessly cool vocals, groovy bass lines, an intricate rhythm section, and his beautiful guitar melodies all intertwined into a catchy record filled with lush production.
Enjoy the full album stream below and be sure to support Abram Shook by purchasing his album via his label Western Vinyl or by clicking the "Buy all on iTunes" link on the SoundCloud player below.
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