Let’s dive into the extraordinary talents of Shiny Shiny Black! I’ve picked out a few of my favorite tracks to highlight from this folk rock group that you must hear!
WHAT STOPS TIME: The first time I heard “What Stops Time,” I felt that full-body I’m obsessed now feeling. Like when a song sneaks up on you, grabs you by the collar, and suddenly you’re listening closer to everything. It’s the title track off their new winter-themed EP. “What Stops Time” is laid back in the best way. Not sleepy, not passive, just deeply locked in. The pianos shimmer like light through dust in a room you don’t want to leave. The bass carries the groove with this calm confidence, while the drums gently but firmly push everything forward, like they’re reminding you to keep breathing. Then there’s the lead guitar doing this beautiful call and response with the background vocals, creating a hook that feels both thoughtful and irresistible. It’s the kind of musical conversation that makes you grin because you can tell everyone in the band is really listening to each other.
Lyrically and emotionally, the song is all about staying in the present moment and not letting worry rattle around your skull, and wow, does it land. This song did a great job at pulling me into the present moment. There’s a bluesy piano solo that seals the deal for me, the kind that makes you stop what you’re doing and just sit there for a second. Living in the now.
ANYWHERE MY LOVE: To hear a more folky side of them, you have to listen to “Anywhere My Love.” This song feels like a deep exhale. The vocal is so gentle and honest, wrapped in soft melodies and harmonies that feel like they’re holding you instead of trying to impress you. It’s genuinely soothing to the soul, the kind of track you put on when the world feels too loud, and you need something human and warm.
The song is about surrendering to love, and wow, you can feel it pouring through every second of their raw performance. Nothing is forced here. It just unfolds naturally, like the band trusted the song to be exactly what it needed to be. “Anywhere My Love” feels intimate and tender. Hearing this side of Shiny Shiny Black made me fall even deeper for them. It’s vulnerable, it’s beautiful, and it lingers long after the song ends.
TIMES SQUARED: Continuing on with those warm acoustic guitars, but this time with a bass and drum pocket that really moves, is the song “Times Squared.” This track feels like standing outside on New Year’s Eve, half reflecting, half celebrating, fully aware of time passing but choosing to be there anyway. It has that end of the year glow mixed with a little grit, which I love.
The vocal is bluesy and low toned, giving me flashes of Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen in the best possible way. There’s a grounded wisdom in how it’s delivered, like the singer isn’t trying to convince you of anything, just telling you how it is. He’s delivering with a cool confidence. One lyric in particular absolutely floored me: “some people say there is nothing you can do about it, sometimes that’s true, but even then, I’d write a song about it.” As a songwriter myself, that line hit straight to the heart. That’s the whole reason we make music. When there’s nothing left to do, we still create.
The bluesy organ riffs are completely on fire. They weave through the song with so much soul and attitude, elevating everything without stealing the spotlight. “Times Squared” feels reflective, celebratory, and deeply relatable all at once, like a toast to surviving, feeling, and turning life into songs.
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Written by Ryan Cassata
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