Shell Shock Lullaby is ones man’s vision and dream. You’d be mistaken for thinking it’s another pop punk band from the states. Russ Nelson hails from Butte, Montana and has put Shades of Grey together himself with the help Stephen Hawkes, who mixed and mastered the record.
The record is mostly what you’d expect in a pop punk record in that it’s lively, other than that it steps quite a way from the genre. The songs are about much more mature topics and really showcases Russ Nelson’s lyrical skills and penmanship.
The album has an opening track which leads into the title track, Shades of Grey which has elements you’d generally associate with pop punk but it all has a more mature classic rock feel to it too. The two genres to seamlessly blend and it really pushes the track to something new.
I’ve Walked That Road feels more like a solid pop punk track with the harmonies, created entirely by one man’s diverse vocal talents. The main guitar riff in the chorus confirms to the conventions of the genre.
All I Need starts with a beautiful set of piano strokes before going into the track. It’s a ballad but with a bit of a pop punk bounce to it. But the bouncy element doesn’t detract from the beauty of the message. It’s nice to see a ballad taken to a different level for a change as it gradually builds throughout.
The album ends with an outro track that fades the same way as intro track. This is a short release, but it’s a nice introduction to what more Shell Shock Lullaby could produce.
7/10
Thank you for the great review, Anneka. I really appreciate the work you put in, and taking the time to listen to my new album. Take care 🙂