CD Review: "The Way" - Think about it

Shane Pullen quite simply breathes life into some of the most moving songs this man has ever heard. Uncomplicated music provided via acoustic guitar sets the mood beautifully for every song on this CD. The soft strumming and precise fingerpicking style of Shane’s guitar playing is the perfect platform from which to present these insightful and emotional words.

A haunting backing vocal compliments selected songs and adds to the sound scape of these numbers. Shane appears to have mastered the art of creating a precise mood in his music. He has the ability to project a feeling through his guitar and voice, as well as a note or melody. Somewhat hypnotic at times, this CD has the ability to trap you in its spell despite the most pressing tasks at hand.

This CD sings to your heart and speaks to your head. It is truly a whole of mind, body and spirit experience that I urge everyone to touch and feel for themselves. Below, I have done my best to interpret the songs and their respective messages. This is my opinion only and everyone is welcome to discuss this further via the home page.

1. Passenger

An up-beat number strummed on the guitar. Complimented with haunting backing vocals, this song speaks of living life in the moment and discovering the real you, which may or may not be hidden deep inside yourself. We are small in respect to the universe and time, so we should live and think everything we can while we are here.

2. Happiness

Strummed on the guitar with perhaps a phaser, chorus effect to create an eerie feel. This is rumoured to be in relation to Martin Bryant and if understood in this way, this song is a moving look through the keyhole to madness. This song is bravely written and emotionally challenging, encore!

3. Things I Never Show

A wonderful fingerpick on the guitar sets the scene yet again. Shane truly is a master of his instrument. Assisted by some soulful backing vocals, the sound scape is created masterfully. You are encouraged to go and seek true love, to embrace true love as life itself.

4. Open Up Your Mind

Never has a song title been so explanatory of the song. Except for maybe Oh My God. Lead guitar assists in setting the mood for this little gem, one of my favourites. "You’re just walkin’ by the windows that line your life. You should stop a while and look outside." Says it all I think, worth the admission price on it’s own, it is both a thought provoking and emotionally challenging piece of literature. Author, author.

5. The Way

The title track is both cheeky and deeply frightening. A short but sweet finger picked number. It is minimalist in both music and lyrics, yet speaks louder than most other songs on this CD. Cheeky, "I race rocking chairs not too far from here". Frightening in the fact that it cuts to the truth of some very important issues in our world today.

6. Thick Enough

An upbeat number strummed and picking bass notes. This is all about "broken love". The writer appears to be confused by his rulers’ interpretation of "love", and probably "justice" and "freedom", but I will leave it to Shane to elaborate.

7. Buttercup Feelin

A singing guitar strum accompanies this floating, dreamy piece. Again the mood begets the song, which speaks to me of drug use, and the trade off against future judgement. The song itself is drug enough for me at the moment. A real toe tapper and thought stimulator.

8. Less Zen

Rhythmic strumming sets a solis base for this solid number. Shane asks us to use our third eye. Perhaps this is not a bad idea in the tumultuous world of today. Listen and learn, this man is a poet with a very sound message.

9. Dear Nick Drake

A tribute to the obvious, strummed out briskly on the guitar. I am not aware of Nick Drake but from the song glean that he is/was a musician/writer of some note (I will find out and post on this page). How well has Shane Pullen got a handle on the language most of us struggle with; "You got a skin too few", "...we breathed your music in..." Another one of my favourites, play on, play on.

10. 3 Days

A harsh sounding guitar strum sets the scene for a song that looks into a harsh topic. Prisoner reform is a subject that often divides communities and indeed, society as a whole. As is often the case, few people have an understanding of the individual who is most affected in these cases. One of the few is Shane Pullen, who appears to have an insight into parts of life most don’t even realise exist.

11. Love Song

I guess it is no surprise that when Shane Pullen puts pen to paper regarding love he makes the statement with every sinew of the piece. This guitar strum and pick is as provocative and speaks the words of the song with it’s feeling. The music in this number has a heart and soul of it’s own. This love song explores the life long commitment and discovery that is love. "Life is a song for lovers of life" "So lovers of life. Live life in a song", enough said.

12. Oh My God

I am honoured and somewhat embarrassed to write a review of this particular song. I am tingling and tearing up as I prepare to write this piece. This song deserves an entire review in it’s own right, and I am humbled by it’s brilliance and emotion. A soft finger pick on the guitar and the journey begins. This song is the inspiration behind "a man screaming as softly as he can." Shane Pullen takes 4 minutes and 25 seconds of your time and makes you feel like you have been to heaven and hell and back. The scary thing about this trip is that it could be done for real without ever needing to leave this dimension. Listen to the passionate plea for peace in the name of all gods. Listen to the anomaly/oxymoron that is "religious war".

Just listen to this song...

There is another song on the CD that is not listed on the cover. I will leave it up to you to review it for yourself.

I don’t give stars or scores out of ten, JUST LISTEN TO THIS CD.

Just think

Skeet