Review: Rusty Shackle // Dusk

Almost 3 years after the release of their second studio album, Rusty Shackle are back with 'Dusk'. From the hard-hitting and powerful 'When The Morning Comes' to the subtle and heartfelt 'Ellidaey Island' the LP covers every angle of musical style within the band.

Rusty Shackle have been floating around in the alternative folk scene for a good while and have an enthusiastic and loyal following with the first single from the album - incidently the first song on the new LP - reaching as high as #3 in the iTunes singer/songwriter charts and #80 in the iTunes singles chart. A fantastic achievement for an independent band releasing under their own label.

'Dusk' is by no means an album which can be viewed as a whole; listening to it is like a roller-coaster ride of musical styles  with songs varying between exquisite and intricate to the simple and catchy, The variance in sound means there is no doubt a song for everyone to enjoy on the album. Each song can be viewed on it's own as a very different part of the same whole. However the band maintains a theme flowing through the album that ties it all together.

'When The Morning Comes' is a brilliant example, it opens the album hard hitting and in your face. It's the sort of song that finds a little nook inside your mind and stays there; an earworm. In complete contrast is 'Moving On', a duet between between lead singer Liam and Remy Beasley (a talented young welsh singer/songwriter) which, due to the sound of the pairs voices, could be a folked-up Of Monsters & Men song. This continues throughout the LP from the pop-folk and almost 'Disney' sounding ''Lion In Winter' to the quietly plucked 'Lonely Lighthouse Life' and the stunning hook-driven 'Lucinda Returned', Rusty Shackle take you on a journey through the variety that can be achieved within alternative folk.

With each listen this album becomes stronger and stronger and after the 3rd or 4th listen you'll be belting out the lyrics and jigging around your kitchen with it on full blast. A lot of people can be put off by an artist being labelled as alternative folk thinking it's just a Mumford & Sons rip-off, Rusty Shackle are far from that, their sound is much deeper and more musically interesting. They might not reach the heady heights of number one albums but the lads from Monmouth have produced an interesting and engrossing album.

The LP is released on the 25th March under Get Folked Records - the bands own label. Rusty Shackle have a series of headline dates in April/May to promote the release of 'Dusk':

7.5/10

-Luke

Tour dates for Rusty Shackle