Rockers Naked Giants Find Quieter Moments on ‘The Shadow’

The debut record, Sluff, from Seattle-based trio Naked Giants arrived like a bat out of hell in 2018, with a series of infamously rambunctious, sweaty live shows close on its heels. And while those thrashing dance parties may now be happening in isolation, the band’s follow-up, The Shadow, keeps them going in full force. As proven with the music video for single “Take a Chance,” created virtually, the Naked Giants are still head-banging and grooving, with or without a proper stage. But where Sluff felt more constantly full-throttle, The Shadow finds moments to wind down and cozy into sonically quieter corners.

Though Naked Giants thrive when they’re getting loud and blasting through a satisfying tangle of punk-rock guitar shreds, they show a particular penchant for mellow psych rock and moody ballads with The Shadow. We hear it on the easygoing “Song for When You Sleep,” the synth-soaked swooner “Turns Blue,” and the heavy trips “The Ripper” and “Unpeeled.” “Turns Blue” especially is a standout, unexpectedly knocking the wind out of you with its silken vocals and air of solitude that feels fitting for a time of unprecedented loneliness and isolation. Grant Mullen and Gianni Aiello use their harmonies strategically, sometimes mono and hypnotic to work you into a trance, other times primal and deeply felt, like a long-awaited release of tension.

The group evokes influences like The Talking Heads and The Ramones with punchy, chanting tunes like “High School (Don’t Like Them)” and “Walk of Doom,” and embraces their retro garage rock leanings with “Better Not Waste My Time” and “(God Damn!) What I Am.” Their sweet spot remains unbridled rock and roll, but it feels like a major progression to hear them toning it down and softening around the edges a bit. After all, life can’t always be a party.