Shelf Life by Waxy Shellac And The Tasteless Apples is a delightful musical journey rife with wit, satire, and poignant social commentary.
Released on January 27th, Shelf Life explores various facets of human experiences, from weirdly specific anecdotes to important political allegories, all wrapped in catchy melodies and engaging instrumentation.
Fred Meltzer leads this narrative masterpiece with his acoustic and electric guitars, electric bass, drums, keyboards, and lead vocals. Mike Travers, Joe Clapp, Kaile Dutton, Andrew Geano, Heather Jones, and Steve Tapper put forth their contributions.
Behind the band’s sound are inspirations like Todd Rundgren, Steely Dan, Joe Burcaw and Weird Al Yankovic. Waxy Shellac And The Tasteless Apples have manifested their own personality with the greats most engagingly and critical ever that you will never be able to put down.
The album kicks off with “Prescription Song,” a tongue-in-cheek exploration of prescription drug side effects, set to melodic guitar tunes and thumping drums. “Hard To Love” takes a jab at high-maintenance individuals.
The storytelling is excellent in “Threesome,” and the sarcasm is spot on in its lyrics. We find the unique third wheel in the narrator’s relationship discussed through these hilarious standout lines: “Some would complain or think it’s insane, but I have something extra with my girl/I have a threesome with my baby and her iPhone/It’s much better than being alone.”
“Codependent Me” stands out with its lighthearted duet between Fred and a female vocalist, offering a humorous take on modern marriages and codependent dynamics. The album concludes with “History Repeats Itself,” which addresses racism, political dynamics, and discrimination, cyclically continuing throughout history with graver vocals and engaging backing vocals.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered at Ultrasound Productions, Shelf Life took the genius of Fred Meltzer 40 years to bring to life.While the band may be fresh from the studio, their collective experience and talent shine through in every track.
Shelf Life showcases how we can utilize music to entertain, enlighten, and inspire reflection on the world around us.
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Review By: Naomi Joan