We’re hosting 8 off 8th this Monday, and to wet your musical palate, we’re bringing teasers on each of the involved bands. Up now: Gavin Shea.
As a creative writing major, I spent four years with boozed-up poetry professors railing it into my head that word juxtaposition is about more than just symbols and substance; it’s about the aesthetics of sound. Local artist Gavin Shea masters this concept in his newest EP “Alive and Well.” Not only do the lyrics paint surrealistic images; they exist in harmony, with precise meters, intelligent rhyme schemes, and well-used consonance. If you aren’t a literary nerd with a penchant for over-analysis, you’ll still hear it; Shea’s writing naturally masters the mathematics of song-writing.
I’ve spent a good amount of time talking up Gavin Shea’s music, and I probably will until every last person in Nashville gets the chance to see him live, or downloads his EP. He’s doing something unique, different than most other artists around today. Shea’s sound isn’t rooted in past-genre influences. He is forward-thinking, and his compositions reflect that. His lives performances are simultaneously humble, impassioned, and usually barefoot. Now go download “The Brains,” and make sure to leave your shoes at home for this portion of Monday night’s show.
Lockeland Springsteen 