The delicious unhinged quality of Brian Shapiro’s vocals is obvious less than a minute into the album All That We See. “Three Things” opens the collection with a loose, relaxed musical rave-up complete with kazoos. Yes, kazoos. It has a distinct low-fi punch, seemingly by design, but Shapiro’s near-ranting vocals occupy a central place in the production mix. The subtle changes in pacing throughout the track are never jarring but contribute to the song’s slightly askew demeanor. The second cut “We’ll Take Them All” draws attentions thanks to its jazzy inflections and additional musical touches. It debuts piano for the first time during All That We See and the effortless fills landing throughout the track give it an extra push. Shapiro’s vocals rely, to some extent, on affectation, but his phrasing skills are unquestionable.
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Some might hear the third song “What’s Real” as a slipshod jumble never transcending its deliberately disjointed sound. Others, however, will hear a much more cohesive result sustained by its unity of style and sound. The song’s tempo changes are never gratuitous and nor is the shift from its placid first half into the intense, almost overwhelming second half. It is a premeditated move, without a doubt, but never rings false. It’s arguably the most memorable moment of the album’s first half.
The off-kilter lurching they achieve during “One More Time” is like nothing else in modern music today. It’s a testament of their talents as arrangers and musicians they can so deftly straddle a line between discernible songcraft and whacked-out envelope pushing. “One More Time” practically heaves with life. “Thin Skin” provides another highlight thanks to its languid tempo, another dramatic Shapiro vocal, and the inclusion of brass after the track’s midway point. There’s no doubting the fact, however, that Shapiro’s singing is a likely acquired taste. Some will find it overwrought, but there are many others who will understand the ends he has attempting to achieve.
“Away and Away” is one of All That We See’s more straight-forward tunes, but Shapiro and his cohorts can’t resist the temptation to upend listeners expectations. These key points during the cut spike it with a little added flourish and Shapiro tapers his raving qualities enough to spin this performance in another direction. He applies sporadic flanging effects to his vocals during the album’s last track “Le Chien”. Translating in English to “The Dog”, it’s an enjoyable performance despite the French language vocal. The idiosyncratic flash of ending the album this way shouldn’t escape notice. Shapiro’s confidence wins out, however, and this works as a great ending.
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All That We See is an outstanding musical experience, though some will feel it lacks mass appeal. You can’t please everyone and the Brian Shapiro Band definitely doesn’t try. Shapiro and his bandmates, however, have produced a song cycle that stands apart from standard fare today without latching onto fashion or cliché. They possess musical and songwriting vision all their own and nothing here suggests they are a flash in the pan. We’ll be hearing from this unit again in the future.
Troy Johnstone