Garage Band: Ted Leo & the Pharmacists' Shake the Sheets

“The Angel’s Share” and “The One Who Got Us Out” are songs that have these quieter (as if slower) sections that play off of the louder (as if faster) throw down sections. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists are Garage Band sound coming from one of those garages you could live in—heat, A/C, bathroom, cable TV, fully stocked refrigerator. Leo & Co. take the Garage Band ballistics but play them with a full range of rhythms, dynamics, and orchestration. This ain’t just amplifiers soaking up oil from the garage floor. Most similar to the broad-styled, multi-ranged Rosenbergs, Leo & Co. also show a little of 54*40’s more punk side (54*40 is in the American Band Rock section).

Of the tight collection of songs on Shake the Sheets, “Heart Problems” beats with muscle drumming and guitar to begin, leading into a “Danny Boy” falsetto chorus, all of it as a protest against the cost of prescription drugs. The song ends with a spoken list of drugs—scientific name followed by the brand name. Will we hear Congress inviting Ted Leo to testify in hearings on the subject? Testify with his electric guitar maybe?

“Counting Down the Hours” has a hint of that Irish trad rock beat, the kind of thing that blends with Country backbeat. The chorus, though, is like a Celtic dance party. “Criminal Piece” is underlaid with a really nice bass line from Dave Lerner leading into this dismissal of 60’s protestors who are now disengaged suburban moderates.

Chris Shaw’s production is highlighted by the CD liner photos showing the band live on an outdoor stage—Chris Wilson in action smashing those drums, Dave Lerner playing his bass to the open sky, Ted Leo blurred out as that guitar wails around. Shaw’s production has let the listener feel the intensity, fun, and full presence of Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, capturing something that I’d guess is incredible live even as this recording sounds incredibly live.

Thanks to Ted Leo & the Pharmacists and Lookout Records for the review copy.