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Jul 12, 2017 Web Exclusive By Ryan E.C. Hamm

Sheer Mag have built their reputation on monster guitar licks (think Thin Lizzy and AC/DC), a true DIY aesthetic, and the powerful, melodic caterwaul of lead singer Tina Halladay. On their first full-length, Need to Feel Your Love, the band attempt to take the short bursts of their three EPs into long format, with somewhat mixed result.

The album jumps off with “Meet Me in the Street,” which launches into a stomping riff and a chorus reminiscent of Cherie Currie’s vocals in The Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb.” The title track and first single “Just Can’t Get Enough” both show off the band honing its slinky grooves that it’s hinted at over the course of its EPs. Elsewhere, “Can’t Play it Cool” uses a grungy 1950s doo-wop boogie to tell its story of reclamation of confidence in the face of heartbreak.

The best song, “Expect the Bayonet,” features the band in lockstep with a great bass group and tremendous vocals. While the refrain “expect the bayonet” might sound like a weird thing for a ‘70s hard rock-inspired band to sing about, it’s right in Sheer Mag’s wheelhouse. They tackle social injustice head-on throughout Need to Feel, retelling the story of the Stonewall Riots on “Suffer Me” and referencing Nazi-resistance figure Sophie Scholl on the last track.

Stretched across three-quarters of an hour and 12 tracks, Need to Feel sometimes feels exhausting. Individual songs are shots of pure adrenaline, but over the course of an album, they lose their punch-just like how an AC/DC album is never as good as its singles. The power of Sheer Mag lies in their ability to punch you in the stomach with a hook, lyrics about empowerment—in both love and politics—or in the sheer (sorry) power of their music. On Need to Feel Your Love, that power is there, but its effect is slightly diminished by a few overly long songs and the number of tracks (www.sheer-mag.com)

Author rating: 6.5/10