Here at the Send Me Your Ears studio, we’ve been listening to Blue Shirt Charlie’s latest single, Shelter, released today, January 20, 2023.
Before we go any further, we must point out that Nashville-based Blue Shirt Charlie is a side project of the Mars McClanes – a band we’ve thoroughly enjoyed listening to for the past year or so. Blue Shirt Charlie takes on a more Country rock feel, and they do it well. Is there no end to these guys’ diversity and talent?!
Shelter grabs your attention immediately with an anthemic riff which repeats both on guitar throughout the song, and at times with a rousing burst of vocals, worthy of a sing-along from even the most subdued of listeners!
Lyrically, the song reflects on real-life tragedies in one of the most impressive story-telling styles we’ve heard in a long time; “my uncle fell off his own roof and broke his neck and died and no one said a thing, we went to the funeral, a stranger read some words, they played Yellow Submarine.” We just love songs that do this kind of thing and here, Blue Shirt Charlie have nailed it.
The vocals are clear in the mix and demand your attention. The all-important second verse adds in some incidental guitar and droning organ and by the time you hit the chorus, you will find yourself totally invested in the track and more than ready to sing along.
We love the build into a breakdown four-on-the-floor section which has an absolutely glorious clear and bright kick drum. The repeated chorus at the end switches to being snare driven and maintains your attention to the very last drop.
Ideas from our ears
A boost around 90Hz would add some extra thump to the kick drum. A couple of cuts in the vocal track, one around 450Hz and another around 1250Hz would balance it out nicely too. A boost in the top 2 octaves would increase the overall brightness in the track. Finally, a light compressor/limiter and around 3-4dB of make-up gain would raise the volume to match similar releases.
Final Thoughts
Blue Shirt Charlie’s latest single, Shelter, is a superbly catchy and exciting but simple song. Fans of Status Quo (think: Burning Bridges) with their anthemic choruses and very slightly country take on Classic Rock will go nuts for this track – as did we! Superb!