Half of The Keystone Kids is half of Slingshot Dakota, while the other half is Ryan O'Donnell of Yo Man Go, and that was enough to hook and reel me in. While both share Carly Comando's soothing vocals and keys, each one is on the opposite side of the indie spectrum. The Keystone Kids verges more on the electro-pop side rather than the punk. Things Get Shaky provide seven catchy tunes, but I'm not sure it was enough.
The opening track, "Crumble," is pretty mid-tempo--as is most of the album. It's mostly Carly singing along to her piano with Ryan strumming along. It hints at a larger sounding record ahead of it, but the following track, "Mouth," dumbs it down with a bit more programmed beats and synth. The track comes off dry without really feeling full until the end. O'Donnell takes the lead on, "What They're Saying," which has the band sounding more like The Postal Service. It's more upbeat but maintains the same tempo as the previous.
The duo shares duties on, "Falling." While it keeps the slow pace, it's a much stronger track than, "Mouth" and "What They're Saying." Carly comes out with the well orchestrated piano playing and both add a little force to the track in the chorus. With what it seems like the two are trying to do with this project--they accomplish it best on "Up all Night." They bring about a more electro-clash style that holds your attention more than the earlier synth-pop tracks. It's more urgent and dance-worthy.
We get closer to the end with, "Miles." It's the perfect night time driving track. The production is a little bit more crisp compared to the other tracks. It's another track that does away with the synth-pop and keeps it more stripped down and moving. The same goes for the album's closer, "44." Ryan closes out the album with a more emotional performance. However, the main problem with the track is it's too short. It comes to an end without really giving you closure.
Things Get Shaky is an odd album when it comes to length. It feels too long to be an EP but too short to be considered a full LP. The album could have benefited from another song or 2. While the synthier tracks blend in well enough, The Keystone Kids' bread and butter are the more stripped down songs. It's catchy enough to have grabbed my attention, but whether or not it'll hold my attention is a different story.
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