New York City’s Noshows is carrying on the mantle of several bands today far from content with brainless labelings such as alternative rock, shoegaze, or whatever, and instead basing their claim for attention on their ability to pull off anything. The musical skill of the band’s five members allows the latitude to shift seamlessly from one styler to another without any sort of distinctions or fumbles cropping up and derailing the performance and “So Mysterious”, the band’s newest single, is the best representation yet of that gift.
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They are natural musical allies, I believe, but fusing jazz and hip-hop inclination requires a deft compositional and performing hand. Noshows’ mainman Max Satow doesn’t miss anything, however, and the attentive detail leaping out from his songwriting is one of the biggest reasibs fir Noshows’ success so far. This is a song with obvious live weight, as well, and any attentive listener will hear it on their first listen.
The presence of horns, the ever evolving and changing vocal delivery, and the welcoming yet confident timbre of Satow’s voice are all aspects that will immediately jump out. The confidence is especially notable. It doesn’t result in any sort of strident performance, but instead gives the Noshows’ vocalist a light yet cool swagger that helps set the song further apart. The instrumentation underlines this part of the recording without ever vying for dominance in the mix.
Satow produced the track and there’s an overall even-handedness in his work that goes far beyond his years. It is a likely reflection of him understanding precisely what he wants to hear and accomplish with the song and it’s a quality listeners will find present in Noshows/Satow’s earlier material. The vibrant path that the arrangement follows makes it easy for first time listeners and longtime fans alike to follow along.
The welcoming aura of Satow’s voice doesn’t diminish the emotions he’s able to conjure from the instrument as well. He captures the wonder of falling for someone who isn’t quite what they appear to be without ever slipping into pretentious twaddle. Noshows has a tight grip on what qualifies as sharp modern songwriting while still investing a great deal of attention in nailing down the fundamentals. It results in a great recording.
The jazz side of the song’s sonic identity could have been a mistake. Noshows, however, wisely keeps such strands tethered to accessibility, first and foremost, though it never comes at the expense of the song’s significance. It’s an entertainment, perhaps first and foremost, but there’s equal consideration we should give to the idea of the song working as a substantive personal statement as well.
Excellence has defined Noshows’ work thus far and there’s no reason to think it will not continue. Opening up the band’s sound to more than just Satow’s playing talents alone is the musical equivalent, thus far, of a flower reaching full bloom and you get the sense hearing this song that the band’s blossoming has only just begun. It will be a joy to take in.
Claire Uebelacker