If you’ve never listened to Sheer Mag before, then where have you been? Start wherever you want in their discography, but please PLEASE get your hands on their new record A Distant Call immediately because it is the purest Rock ‘n’ Roll record you’ll hear all year. It’s got that 70s Glam Rock feel to it- it’s basically like the New York Dolls but with the absolute heaviness of Motorhead. Tina has the most powerful voice you’ll ever hear. No one else has this utter power she posses in her voice, and it’s the kind of voice that just makes you stop you in your tracks.

Her vocals on A Distant Call are better than ever, and she truly gives it to you on the opener Steel Sharpens Steel. I hope that they open their shows with this because it has got this energy to it that just makes you want to go completely nuts. There are two bands that have this immediate energy to them right not- Sheer Mag and Amyl and The Sniffers. These bands have a raw and unapologetic sound, and the heaviness and strength in their sound and vocals just makes you not want to listen to anything else but them. When listening to this record, it is so important to pay close attention to the lyrics. They are heartbreaking, but also give you comfort. It’s a record made up of loss and strength, and how it can shape you in whatever way you wish. Sometimes though, you have no control over it. A Distant Call came out the day my Grandma died; it’s taken me a month to properly listen to this record and there are some lyrics on this record that hit really hard. It is truly a powerful record, and one to really cling to.

 

 

A Distant Call is of course Sheer Mag’s best record to date, and I’m likely to say this with every record they do. I love how their songs sound like they could be in some off the wall 80s teen film (Dacre Montgomery can be the lead as the rebel who just fucks shit up beautifully, you’re welcome.) Tina’s vocals give you this solid reassurance, that you feel like someone has your back and can voice those feelings you can’t quite shake- Blood From A Stone is a prime example of this. What they did in 2017 with Need To Feel Your Love, they have evidently done again with A Distant Call. They’ve given us songs to just lose our shit to, and to just have a great time listening to. I’ve never seen Sheer Mag live but I can honestly say that their songs are made to be witnessed live. They’ve clearly got that about them, and I cannot help but be in awe of that. I love the vulnerability in the lyrics, and I love how the heaviness of the music compliments it so well. You can’t help but feel these songs were made for you. Be the loner, be on the outside, be whatever you want- Sheer Mag will guide you.

This record is made up of 10 songs that flow so perfectly into each other. In half an hour, Sheer Mag take you on several journeys. Part of you feels like you’re an outcast at a school prom which then transforms into a total badass who has stopped giving a fuck about what anyone thinks. There is so much growth in this record, and if you listen to their two records, one after another you will truly hear how much they have grown and how they aren’t afraid to push themselves. By pushing themselves they have really created one of the strongest records of the year, by far.

Hardly To Blame is my favourite right now but I’ll probably change my mind because this record is way too perfect to have one cemented favourite. I think with A Distant Call you immediately do fall in love with it but, it is so important to just listen to it over and over to pick up on different moments on the songs to fall in love with. The guitars on this record are something else, and tower right above Need To Feel Your Love. The growth is just beautiful, and you really cannot help but be proud of what they have done on this record. Cold Sword is a song that you know is going to be a real delight when/if they do it live. I love how Tina delivers her vocals on this, but everything on this song is so complimentary. I know that Cold Sword will be one I end up going back to and obsessively playing over and over. Also, you’ve GOT to get obsessed with The Right Stuff. Play it through headphones, and take in how amazing Kyle, Hart and Matt are on this. They give the listener everything you’d want from a piece of music, and Tina’s vocals are tougher than ever on this. Again, this is one I’d love to see live. It’s a masterpiece.

 

 

A Distant Call will make you feel like the toughest person out there. Put on your boots and go cause some trouble. It’s a record that has some gorgeous moments and it is just such a rowdy record that you need to play loud and often. Chopping Block is the one you need to turn up a little louder than the others- take in the heaviness of the vocals and guitar on this one, then let every other element in this song take you over. It is phenomenal. Sheer Mag ARE phenomenal, and this record justifies this 100%.