When musicians have a vast musical taste and influence, it’s always great to see them expressing such things through various creative outlets. This is the case for Californian duo Camera Shy, who are certainly no strangers to wearing several hats, and spend their time in numerous other bands. Comprised of Whirr guitarist and Nothing bassist Nick Bassett, and Night School member Alexandra Morte, who was also the vocalist of Whirr during their ‘Pipe Dreams’ era. However Camera Shy are a world away from the reverberated haze of Whirr, the serene funnel of noise created by Nothing, and flaunts a far more fragile sound than the 60’s surf-pop of Night School.
As the bright, major-key guitar of ‘Remember’ starts proceedings on their self-titled full-length, it is redolent of Scottish indie-rock band Belle and Sebastian in it’s delivery. Whereas back when she was fronting Whirr, Morte’s vocals were buried lower in the mix to add another layer to their wall of sound, here her vocal range is given far more of a chance to soar. The sun-soaked, romantic tale ‘Your Only One’ feels all the more engaging thanks to Morte’s dreamy vocal melodies being more exposed, and padded out by lush harmonies.
For the most part, a rhythm section bolsters the album, which was absent on their debut ‘Jack-O-Lantern’ EP, providing a more full, rounded out sound for Camera Shy. They do strip things back to how they started on the saccharine ‘Glowing’, but to avoid ever sounding twee – which any band who sound like this could fall into the trap of – they pick the pace up again with ‘New Something’, that gives Bassett a chance to pay homage to Johnny Marr of The Smiths with intricate, syncopated lead lines.
Given that the album does not really diverge from Camera Shy’s chosen style, they have kept it a relatively short affair with only 8 tracks. This stops it from collapsing in on itself and becoming stale, and if anything leaves you wanting more from them. The glorious ‘Take Your Time’ shimmers perfectly as Camera Shy shine for the last time, before closing on the Velvet Underground-esque ‘Seemingly Ill’, with minimal vocal and a subtle horn section that has a distinct lo-fi vibe, thanks to the recording of this particular track.
Camera Shy’s self-titled LP is not a master class in extreme originality, but nor is it a vanity project away from it’s members day jobs. It is merely a perfectly crafted album of simple, yet effective indie-pop songs, where both Alexandra Morte and Nick Bassett have paid just as much attention to every detail as they do in their other bands. The uplifting melodies and hooks are infectious, and coupled with a heart-warming narrative at its core, it’s impossible not to adore Camera Shy.
GLEN BUSHELL