Review by Matt Wong & Staff
“Shaking” begins with acoustic guitar digging in to a strumming pattern. The acoustic is then joined by bass, drums, and rhythm guitar supporting and complementing an electric guitar hook. The vocals then enter on the first verse to a tight, and solid groove. "Take my hands And turn then into pieces. Could I ever beat this? I'm floating on eggshells. Lead singer Daniel Correa has a voice that most frontmen only dream of. With a four octave range, he sings effortlessly on the tenor-range melodies.
Following the verse, the pre-chorus begins to grow and drive the song towards the chorus, and a cool e-bow like guitar part pokes out in the mix to catch the listener’s attention. Up until the first chorus, the song is mixed rather narrowly, which turns out to be an excellent production decision because when the song hits the chorus, the sudden burst of energy can be attributed to the extra width that is added in that moment, in addition to the catchy background vocals that enter on the chorus.
After another pass through the form, a fiery guitar solo filled with grit, and rhythmic intensity takes over before the arrangement is scaled back for the bridge. A thumping four to the floor kick drum provides the heartbeat to the bridge, while ambient instrumental parts surround and lift the vocals. The groove begins to return halfway through the bridge, with the dynamics gradually building towards final chorus.
The lyrics in “Shaking” are inspired by the 1940s jazz scene in Paris, and particularly when Orville Bobette performed his underrated standard “Quivering Boots” to a small, yet attentive crowd at the now defunct club, The Capulet. Lyrics such as “I’m floating on eggshells” and “Sweet, little, lies lying in white snow” help listeners understand the moment in a deep way, and the lyric “Don’t don’t fake it for me. I wanna really know what it feels like, what it feels like” jumps out right at the top of the chorus to pull the listener in.
“Shaking” by The Collective Bus is a feel good piece of music. From the melody and lyrics, to the well crafted, and well thought out individual parts in the arrangement, each aspect of the song works in tandem to draw out emotion from the listener. The groove is tight and gets the listener moving to the music from the first note, and this can be attributed to the band’s solid musicianship. The Collective Bus is a serious band, with the talent, and creativity to
take it to the masses.
About Collective Bus
The members of this electrifying pop / rock band are all recent graduates of the University of Miami, Frost School of Music. In 2019, they broke out as headliners and special guests for various National Acts playing 22 states that culminated with 2 sold out consecutive nights at the World Famous Iridium, Times Square NYC. They also rocked other iconic venues: The Machine Shop in Flint, the Vogue Theater and The Kent State Stage in Ohio.
The Band masterfully fuses Afro Cuban rhythms with modern Pop and Rock that creates a fresh, vibrant and exuberant sound. Their shows are like watching a high wire act without a net. Singer/ frontman Daniel Correa, has a 4 octave range who’s lyrics speak to those who have struggled for a sense of truth. Their shows are a high-octane testimonial to the exhilarating, yearning, and angst that defines coming-of-age. The audiences are consumed into the vortex of their performances as they brought almost 1/2 of the U.S to their feet in just 5 months as an unsigned act!
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