...Are you too good to tango with the poor poor boy

Every once in a great while, an album comes out that is great from start to finish. Aha Shake Heartbreak is the latest winner of that designation, joining the likes (in my book, anyway) of the Afghan Whigs' Black Love, The Tragically Hip's Phantom Power and Tori Amos' Scarlet's Walk among a few others. I rarely hear an album that pleases the ear from start to finish. There's usually some filler that you always have to skip past.

As usual, I'm late on scene as this record was released in February. I was recently turned on to Aha Shake Heartbreak by a random mix that I got from the Poker King, AKA Butter of 69, AKA Clemsonfan's husband (Thanks, Butter, if you ever read this). He included the song "Taper Jean Girl" and I was hooked.

I'm no music critic and I can't put together a rousing commentary (actually, this is my first written critique), but this is a great collection of songs that will make you smile and tap your foot uncontrollably. Some even gave me a good belly laugh. Like in the song "Velvet Snow" and toward the end of "Soft" where the singer, Caleb, just seems to go crazy. I would love to have seen how animated he was in the studio as he was recording this song. It's great stuff. I'd like to point out a high point to the CD, but it's all high. I guess if I had to, though, it would be the drum intro in the song "Razz". I love a good crazy drum beat.

I was kind of leary of putting this CD in the same category as the 3 others mentioned above because this is a new one to me and sometimes the attraction to a new CD wanes after a while, but I think this is one that will also stand the test of time.