Shiner - Lula Divinia

If there is one genre that falls victim to monotony more than any other, it's rock. It's thriving in the mainstream right now, but the chances of sifting through the puddles of mud and finding something refreshing is pretty slim. This must have been the motivation to issue a re-release of Shiner's Lula Divinia. If there is one album this year that has the ability to shake the bowels of the thick/space rock persona, it's this album. I could never say enough good things about Lula Divinia, and as a starving Hum fan, I can vouch for a warm listening experience. It's hard to describe Shiner in a way that keeps it separated from all else that shadows its excellence. I was lucky to get introduced to Lula Divinia prior to it's reissue, and it's one of the most repeated albums in my player this year for sure. If there was one word to attach it would be "thick". The raunchy and bloated guitars fill all space not covered by other instruments, and although it can't be called "heavy", the punchy mix and wild chords will push any stereo hard. On the music lie very husky and brown vocals, that make melody work. His very deep voice, especially on the opening track "The Situationist", harkens back to the days of a prosperous Dinosaur Jr. This guy has no need to scream, and really doesn't have the range to hit shreaks, so he ignores them. The rest of the instruments scream for him. The drums couldn't be punchier, and do more than simply present a backbone on Lula Divinia - they're a key element in the composition. If there was no heavy hitting rhythm, the strumming guitars would be a wall of sound with no direction. It's so balanced it hurts; you can choose what you want to listen to with Shiner. The vocals sit back in the mix, and you can choose to concentrate on rhythm, where the guitars go, or what strange vocal melody floats on top. It's one of the most well-rounded albums I've ever heard as far as a "group" effort is concerned. For fans of space rock, anyone who likes melodic vocals over disonant chords (see Jawbox, Toadies), or anyone who likes their CDs thick, the ONLY thing that keeps Lula Divinia from earning a perfect rock score is the links between tracks. It's not as much an album as it is a collection of really great songs. But in its entirety, it's stupendous, and the 2 extra tracks are a nice edition - a reason to go out and pick it up. [www.shiner.net]