Customer Reviews

Egg

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Very different from previous CDs. A dark, brooding apparently full length tale deftly represented with beatuiful songwriting and wide open (nearly redline) production. The music leaps out of the stereo and slaps the listener about the face; not to inflict injury, rather to remind the listener that there is more to the music than appears at the surface. The title track demonstrates this perfectly as the listener starts in a state of supension in the verse which one realizes only when the chorus is laid bare in an amazing progression that almost wants to be dissonant but never allowed to get there partly because of Allen Epply's tortured vocal line and partly because of Paul Malinowski's logic defying bass line. If that doesn't float your boat then check out "Spook the Herd" - a reprise of the CDs first song, with it's "Korn-wishes-they-were-this-Heavy" ending. I wouldn't recommend this as a starter CD for the fledgling Shinist (try Lula or Starless 1st) - listen to previous CDs and you'll really appreciate this one! A thouroughly satisfying and remarkable album.

This is a re-review of this album. THE EGG is the kind of CD you must listen to numerous times to let the coolness of it saturate your soul. SHINER is a great band that rocks. My previous review stated that they were okay and this disc was just average. After listening a few more times I've come to the conclusion that the CD and the band are really creative. THE EGG has excellent drumming, great guitar and bass, and Allen Eply's voice seems to make it's way into your head with it's smooth catchiness. I will surely check out the other releases in SHINER's arsenal now that I've discovered what I was missing in the first few listens. Maybe SHINER is so good my brain got a little scrambled by THE EGG.

When I first got this album, I liked it but I was a little dissapointed. The more I listened to it the more I adapted to Shiner's unique sound. This isn't for everyone, but I think they were a great and original band. The lyrics are awesome, the guitars, drums, bass, everything works together here. They should have been bigger than they were. My favorite song here is "Pills", you will get it stuck in your head beleive me.

Shiner has defied labels with The Egg, hinting to influences as broad in spectrum as The Pixies, Fugazi, and Jawbox, to Stone Temple Pilots, Tool, and Failure. Make no mistake, this is heavy music, but delivered with an intellegence and precision that is rarely seen. Produced by Matt Talbot from Hum, The Egg is a likely candidate for best sounding album of all time. Standout tracks include The Truth About Cows, Surgery, and The Egg. Check out The Life and Times to se What singer Alan Eply, along with John from Someday I, is doing now. You won't be sorry.

I haven't heard an album that has hit me like this since Dredg's Leitmotif. The combination of emo-ish guitars and darker lyrics along with the fantastic vocals immediatly caught my ear. And how can you say the drums to The Egg are bad? Listen to them on the title track and honestly say that.

The sound reminds me of a three-way between Radiohead, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Nirvana. Creating something lush and textured but at the same time realitivly simple and catch. This has a great chance of being Shiner's "break through" album, and honestly I hope it does.

The brightest of the bright spots are The Top of the World with it's enigmatic ambience which flows perfectly to the title track. Bells and Whistles has an infectious verse and chorus, and the energy of Pills is an eye opener. But the album ends perfectly with Stoned. Semi-acoustic with a powerful ending.

One of the most consistently creative Kansas City acts put out quite a terrific album that flows like a suite while still having a number of individually memorable songs. The sound quality is terrific and brings out the high-impact dynamics both within and between songs. The powerful opening trio of "The Truth About Cows," "Surgery" and "Play Dead" gives way to the disquietingly somber "Top of the World" and emotionally charged rockers like the title track and the instrumental "Andalusia." The album's apex comes with "The Simple Truth," which opens with a disturbingly tense verse/chorus section before giving way to a slow instrumental disintegration that stretches on nine minutes without ever dragging. Some fans lament the less proggy newer material, but "The Egg" is just as complex and rewarding as any of their earlier material. The instrumentation and singing is among the best they've done and the album flows with a mature cohesion that lacks even a hint of complacency. And this material is also some of the best live music they've ever done. Despite what the radio may say, great hard rock completely free of Creed influences does exist.

What an amazing release from a talented band! They took the songwriting from Luna and matched it with the production value of Starless and put them together in a brilliant package. They mix melodic undertones with odd time rhythms. Great album for long distance driving, or office work. I always say this is what grunge should have been. The band called it quits soon after its release. Also check out The Life and the Times and Year Of The Rabbit.

For the majority of Shiner's run they have been a band swept aside by most critical outlets thus leaving the band's work not seeing the light of day. The only people who knew were probably diehard fans and the band's hometown cheerleaders. Although it seems pretty cruel that there are a lot good bands that release some of the most compelling music won't ever be appreciated(I blame pitchfork).

When the band went to start working on this album they had recently signed to DeSoto records, the record label for the critic's darling The Dismemberment Plan. This album is in technical terms a "crossroad" album, you know the one's that are the last album to be released by band, the one that is "experimenty". The one that is their "crowning acheivement". It would be a little too condescending to put the album in that light, it'd be like shooting fish in a proverbial barrel.

No, this album is far too good to examine on surface detail and momentary glances.

The first few seconds in it seems like it's going to be a typical post-hardcore affair, if it weren't for the utterly bizarre but beautifully orchestrated instrumentals. Every instrument stands out. The guitars, keys, drums, and bass stand out on every track with effortless skill. As far as vocals, Allen Epley ranges from a falsetto to a croon, both played with an eerie air. The title track is probably the perfect example of their flawless sense of experimentation. The instruments weave in and out of the song every few seconds with chilling affect. "Bells and Whistles" is a track that sounds like it was fun to write. The song is filled with a lot deception; A line that what sounded like a guitar, as the song ends, to turn out to be a synth that is a master of disguise. The lyrics are something not be missed; Epley is able to conjure some of the most chilling and apocalyptic tales on corporate greed and the disconnect from reality as a result of it. "Play Dead" commentates on how people indoctrinate their kids into absurd wartime values and those who oppose it just stick their head in the sand; "All the children gather round, drag the bodies through the town and turn their frowns upside down."

"The Top of the World" accompanied by mystical sounding keys revolves around what sounds like a CEO getting everything he wanted, not knowing what to do with it and going insane in the process. "I blew apart the Volvo and sacrificed your sister," is a verse I won't forget for a long time.

The album without a doubt is greater than the sum of it's parts. Due to it's nature one would be hard pressed, once started, not to finish listening to the entire album.

The Egg truly was a step forward for Shiner and their crowning achievement.

Shiner's follow-up to the barely noticeable and quietly mastered Starless album, makes up for lost time. Jason Gherkin, doesn't seem to show the technical drumming skills that Tim Dow has on their first full length, Lula Divinia, but his style does pack a punch. It's thunderous when it needs to be, and quiet and subtle when the mood shifts, as it does many times on this album. The secondary guitar work on The Egg is purely for ambience, and rarely for rhythm. Allen Eppley's guitar work isn't as fanciful and strange as it was on Lula Divinia (he utilized many complex/odd chords), but he makes up for barely putting any effort in his guitar contribution to the Starless album. There are a few pleasantly recognizable riffs that can stay in your head through-out the day. He offers his best singing here, something he continued to do when Shiner broke up and he started playing with The Life and Times. Paul Malinowski's is very strong and low-ended. The mix couldn't emphasize the bass anymore without drowning the guitar work. It sounds wicked.

The underground music scene tends to have greater expectations than the mainstream, which is often a good thing. However, those people can be hard to please. The Egg is Shiner's best produced album, with a proper mix that reflected their powerful live shows. I still favor this album slightly over Lula Divinia, simply because the songs are of better quality, sound-wise. The technical writing in Lula Divinia is great, but the poor production and final mix just doesn't compare to the Egg. If you want a solid sounding rock album, then pick up the Egg. It's still better than the loads of pop/rock you'll find on the radio, by far.

I was a Shiner fan for years and Lula Divinia, hands down, was the best Shiner album, period. No debate, it just was. Why people praise The Egg so much is bizarre to me. However, The Egg does have some interesting moments. Allen's vocals are always amazing. The man can simply sing. Paul's bass work is a little muted and reserved here but still comes down as the backbone of the bands epic rock sound. The best song on the disc is the instrumental song that comes right after the song The Egg. That's sad that the best song is an instrumental. Listening to the rest of Shiner's album's and then buying The Egg when it first came out was dissapointing. The Egg just sounded to me like a band running out of musical ideas. Allen's new band The Life and Times is even far better then The Egg. Buy Lula Divinia, it is the best Shiner album and looms way above this sub-par album