Album Review: Haunted Shed – Faltering Light (Strolling Bones)

Haunted Shed is debuting their first album Faltering Light, but singer/songwriter Etienne De Rocher is no stranger to the music scene. After a brief hiatus and shift from San Francisco’s West Coast he moved to Athens, Georgia with wife Maria and their two children where he discovered new musical influences culminating in a new band and a new sound.

Although he has always managed to find work using his craft, his entrance as a bona fide Indie Rocker has come at a later stage in life than most musos. Finding difficulty getting signed with already burgeoning record label New West Records, he teamed up with producer Drew Vanderberburg and Strolling Bones Records was born. The Haunted Shed Band comprises of  Dan Nettles (guitar wizard) and Joe Rowe (drums.)

Faltering Light has a playlist of 11 tracks, some featuring De Rocher’s lyrics that are ‘Bowie-esque’ in sound and others instrumental with a mix of drums, acoustic &electric guitar, synthesizer, harmonica and surprising xylophone notes that add smatterings of tinkling to the overall effect. It’s difficult to pigeonhole the sound however ‘80s New Wave comes to mind when listening to Track 2 – Collections, 5 – Christmas Store and 7 – Innocence of Man.

Archipelago (Reprise) begins with hauntingly single piano notes, into which the instrumentals are added slowly building to a fleshed-out rhythm and quirky chorus giving this album its signature sound. Collections, Impending Machines and Silvering Day appear repetitive with some differing aspects (mainly lyrical) and I found the same could be said of Christmas Store and Umami. This does give the full album some flow and perhaps as a debut album Haunted Shed are still finetuning their unique sound.

Faltering Light, (track 8) has a darker goth sound with deep bass and longer guitar riffs. while Button inside my Soul begins with birdsong and ebbs into the slower and almost floating tempo ending with the higher ethereal notes of De Rocher.

Hypno, the final number has a definite rock sound, combined with a synthesised melody that is easily my favourite.

I look forward to hearing what this trio produce next as they become more cohesive and further their own unique voice. The album cover is certainly attention grabbing; hopefully those that may not have otherwise heard of Haunted Shed and Faltering Light will be tempted to look further with the same intrigue as I did just from the band and album name.

Megan Kemplay

Click here to watch The 13th Floor MusicTalk interview with Haunted Shed