Music Review: Shameless Self Promotion
April 16th, 2008
Indianapolis-based three-piece Shameless Self Promotion is a mix of indie rock and pop that draws listeners in with creative and thoughtful lyrics on top of catchy melodies. Much like their predecessors the Spill Canvas or Death Cab for Cutie, Ryan (vocals and guitar), Tyler (drums) and Levi (lead guitar and keys) bring down the house with a solid sound and great vocals. They make some great observations in their lyrics, with an outstanding use of metaphor and heartbreaking imagery at times. I especially like their softer tunes, like “Alive with You,” where the singer says he’d fold himself into a book of matches and put himself in his lady’s breast pocket, in hopes to keep her heart on fire. Definitely nice work on this one. Expressive vocal range is also a plus on this track. Another favorite of mine is “Rule of Thumb.” Again, not as rock-y, but a pop song with love as the topic. I really like the first few lines of each verse-very creative. The bridge is probably my favorite part of this tune, and the I like the idea of “baked revenge in this cake.”
