Album Review: Short Stack – Homecoming
3 min read
It’s hard for a band to come back from a hiatus and have another go of it, but that’s just what Short Stack is aiming to do. The Budgewoi boys recently gave their loyal fans a taste of what they can expect from the new and improved Stack when they released their first new music since their split in March of this year in the lead up to this release. Homecoming is the boys 4th record and it’s a refreshing change from the emo fringes and angst ridden lyrics you might be accustomed to.
Gone are the days that you adorned coloured skinny jeans, made sure your hair was teased just right and had your favourite boy’s name written all over your homemade Short Stack t-shirt while you made your parents listen to Stack Is The New Black and This Is Bat Country on the ride to the Short Stack show. Now we can fast forward a couple years and while we’ve all changed as individuals so have the Short Stack boys, they’ve not only changed their physical style they’ve also matured in their music. Homecoming is a sentimental record in the sense that it’s their return to the music industry as a group, this record is all about the music, its catchy riffs layered with infectious drumbeats combined with Shaun Diviney’s captivating vocal ability. Although some tracks are going to have you hooked right away, a few might leave you craving more, you might have to give them a second chance for redemption.
There’s a quirky mix of old and new found within this album and it’s the start of the new direction Short Stack is heading in. It’s a fresh take on classic rock, many of the tracks are fairly basic in the sense that all you need is a good base of instrumentals to translate to good songs, and many of the theatrics of old have been dialled back. You’re hit with well-crafted lyrics full of attractive beats that tell a story and get stuck in your head. Songs like leading single Amy, Dance With Me, Gravity and, Bambi are perfect examples of their punk rock roots mixing with experience in order to create tracks that tell a story in a way that makes you want to sing dance along.
While on the other side of the spectrum songs like the title track Homecoming, Bambi, Golden Boy and, Bad Religion are almost reminiscent of their earlier works. They’re full of intense drums, heavy guitar melodies composed with such intensity in the lyrics that make you want to shout along. And the revamped, raw recording of their 2009 song Rain On Her Parade (now Parades) will make your nostalgic heart soar. The ending track Suburbia is also a fresh take on an older song, previously recorded for the fans on Art Vandelay they’ve taken a demo version of a song, amped up the volume and turned it into an absolute banger of a tune.
Ultimately Homecoming is an album full of rock diversity, but it somehow works together to make a record that’s cohesive. It’s full of catchy lyrics backed by impressive guitar, energetic bass chords and thumping drums that prove that Short Stack are serious about their return. You’ll be hooked by the raw passion and energy that oozes from each track; it’s a fresh take on their brand of punk rock. It’s just a wonderful assembly of sounds that bring together the past, the present and finally the future of Short Stack.
