Shot Baker - Awake (Underground Communique)

Reviewed by Mark Oster

It's a shame that the way the word "punk" is thrown around, there aren't more bands like Shot Baker out there. It's a shame there aren't more bands throwing the punches musically rather than pulling them in an artsy fashion. And it's a shame bands that drape the word "punk" around them like some sort of promotional robe only try to fashion themselves to the part, rather than bother with the musical or lyrical value behind it. But that's the way it is now, and right when you're about ready to lower punk rock's coffin for the seventy fifth time, an album like "Awake", Shot Baker's debut, lands in your grubby paws, and you have to postpone the funeral again. The first thing that comes to mind is early Dropkick Murphy's (before they signed to Epitaph, lost McColgan and started to suck) if they had come from Chicago, with their dark melodies, and harmonized "oh's" a la Naked Raygun. No frills here, just straight forward aggression fueled punk rock, snare shots on the off beats, thick, driving guitars, and raspy, soulful vocals (but still singing, mind you, quite melodically, even). 15 tracks, and 45 minutes of straight ass kicking. Sounds like a pretty generic description, doesn't it? Fine, I challenge you to listen to this album and disagree.

Originally posted in Issue 2.1, January/February 2005