Let It Die

iTunes Review

Bookended with spiritual cleansers “Let It Die” and “Leave It All” (the latter with a dreamy, forlorn “Hare Krishna” chorus), the third album from Portland’s Shaky Hands veers slightly from past releases by losing the hippie-meets-indie aesthetic and going musically for a more middle-of-the-road sound. Listen to the opening guitar riff of “All You Recall” or the shimmy-rock rhythm of “Let It Die” and try not to think of Sticky Fingers-era Rolling Stones. Vocalist Nicholas Delffs takes on a hint of Elvis Costello on “Slip Away,” with just enough reverb filling out his lean quiver, while a stomping, Attractions-like backbeat of prickly guitars and pianos give the tune its edge. Like another, earlier indie band who worked on a more mainstream canvas, the Vulgar Boatmen, the Shaky Hands shine on tracks like “Allison and the Ancient Eyes” and “Caught In the Storm,” churning out propulsive, shuffling beats with hand claps (on the former) and busy baselines threading through guitars that both jangle and electrify. There are pretty ballads, too, rendering Let It Die a sturdy, well-rounded collection of rock and pop, evoking a number of solid predecessors.