Ladyhawk’s second album, Shot, was recorded in an abandoned farmhouse behind the shopping mall in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Vancouver based rock band consists of Sean Hawryluk on bass and vocals, Duffy Driediger on guitar and vocals, Darcy Hancock on guitar and vocals as well, and Ryan Peters on drums.
The recording conditions reflect the sounds on the album. Almost every song on the album contains haunting echoes and a feeling of a hollow cold draft that would be present in an abandoned house. The guitars use the vacant sounds of their recording space and add a soft fuzzy indie rock sound to create its tone. The drums are steady like a heartbeat and make your toes tap. If the drums are the heartbeat then vocals are the soul and all four band members use deep baritone vocals at various times throughout the album.
Shots’ begins with “I don’t always know what you’re saying.” This number is easily the album’s standout track. It features uplifting and yearning vocals accented by ringing echoey guitar riffs and disjointed solos. Mix these ingredients with symphonic synths ringing in the distance and a well-crated song arises. “Fear” the album’s third track is somewhat similar to the opener. It uses a juke joint intro and moves into a beckoning riff with loose harmony. A two-sided sound arises and creates an interesting track. Most songs on that stand out feature a two sided or duelist sound that mixes together well. “Faces of Death” breaks away from the rest of album like the kid in the corner who won’t talk to anyone. It is the album's most honest track and it provides a poetic ballad with a stripped down aesthetic that looks into two of our greatest fears love and death. “Ghost blues,” Shots ninth and final track, is an for a lack of a better word an epic 10 minute jam done with style and taste. They know when to improvise and when to come back. It’s so haunting you might think a ghost sat in while they recorded. The entire song builds up to conclusion just like a climber rising the summit of a mountain then it comes right back down and then back up.
Overall, Shots is a solid effort especially the tracks that create the two sided sound mentioned above. The only fault lies in the formulaic sound in some of the tracks. They just don’t stand out and all just blend together and create some sections in the album. Nonetheless, Shots is for indie fans and those who like to down a few and listen to some tunes.
