Sh! The Octopus

It would be very hard for Sh! the Octopus to live up to such a great name (which comes from an obscure and very weird 1937 monster movie), but they do an admirable job on their debut album, The Carrot Chase. The Detroit band do have some good lyrics and can unquestionably play but something doesn’t quite fall into place. The better songs are the ones that have a folkier touch, such as "If You Please,” because they demonstrate a bit more personality than the others, which tend to blend into each other. They also have a tendency for songs to run a little on the long side, losing their focus, and that definitely backfires on a couple of occasions. Most of the problems with The Carrot Chase come down to the band’s inexperience, but Sh! the Octopus are getting close to something decent. They aren’t there yet though, which makes for an album that’s much more forgettable than the band’s name.