Ryan Law & The Shelter RYAN LAW & THE SHELTER

Ryan Law & The Shelter
Ryan Law & The Shelter
Last Night From Glasgow

Authentic Americana and Iconic Rust Belt Imagery

My initial reaction to hearing this; the band’s second release, was that Ryan Law & The Shelter could be the best ‘Bar Band’ I’ve heard in years …. if such a thing still exists!
With band members split between the spires of Oxford, England, across the USA and even Qatar.! Recording was done via the internet yet somehow the outcome sounds and feels like it could have been a ‘one take’ in the studio ‘as live’ such is the virtual electricity and excitement in every song; not least the opener Suit For a Man; which finds Law just about singing above the punchy and tight backing.
Big Riffs and a shout-along chorus?
What’s not to like?
Without ever sounding ‘forced’ Law’s singing style is sort of ‘middle American’ which adds an authenticity to everything; and the iconic imagery he/they create on Raider’s Town, Better Days and the steamy and muggy More Than Then are pure Blue Collar/Rust Belt stories that bely the country of their birth.
The guitar playing throughout flits between grungy and Tom Petty Twang with ease; and at times you get both in the same four minutes ….. I’m thinking Cool Cool Cool, which in another life would have been a huge hit on College Radio …. which I guess could be Community Radio these days?
I Don’t Know Man starts acapella, then some handclaps cause a false sense of security before Laws’ voice goes up an octave or so and the band come in like low level twister in August!
For a personal Favourite Song I’m genuinely torn between the sweet Honky Tonk of Our Credit; not least because of the keyboards/pedal steel accompaniment; but the in depth song itself made me concentrate more than usual …. and it was well worth the effort, I can tell you.
The other; Better Days to some degree would be what we expect from an imaginative and articulate Americana/Alt. Country band in the 2020’s …. but these guys add a sharper edge to both their words and their playing than I’d ever dreamed I’d hear before I pressed ‘play’ the first time last week; so this is probably edging ahead as Favourite Track.
In many ways Ryan Law & The Shelter are the type of band; regardless of genre that we dream of unearthing here at RMHQ and if you are wandering around a Festival some time soon and see their name outside a tent; or better still if they are playing a bar a club somewhere near you call in …… they are well worth that gamble.

Released May 20th 2022
https://ryanlawandtheshelter.com/

BUY DON’T SPOTIFY
https://ryanlawandtheshelter.bandcamp.com/