“Shaking Off The Evil” by Moon Fever

Moon Fever don’t act like a band with something to prove in their new single “Shaking Off The Evil;” on the contrary, they sound very assertive and sure of themselves here. From the structure of the harmony to the fluidity of the verses, there’s scarcely a moment in “Shaking Off The Evil” in which Moon Fever aren’t so swaggering that their confidence becomes rather infectious, and although they steer clear of excesses common in retro rock, they aren’t afraid to get a little dirty with the melodies at all. They’ve got the chops and the charisma, and in this track, they’re making it impossible for us to dismiss them as anything less than brilliant. 

SMART URL: https://lnk.to/ShakingOffTheEvil

The video for “Shaking Off The Evil” is, in my estimation, deliberately formulaic and designed to make us think of the classic rock era, specifically the late 70s and early 80s. There’s a spiritual bend to the images, but it’s skewed with a chill-inducing angst that speaks to the rebellion of a rock generation that hasn’t been able to voice its disconnect with the modern narrative. I like the concept being played with, and would even say it’s more complete than it needed to be to make sense with fans on a mass scale. 

I really like the crisp feel of the vocals here, and while everything else is descending into complete and utter chaos, the singing remains the steady beacon of hope in the eye of the storm. There’s a lot to be said about what a good voice can do for a rock band of this persuasion, and to some degree, I do think that Moon Fever are a group that needs a linguistic edge to really create a unique message with their music. They’ve got a good set of musicians, and they’re definitely not forcing the chemistry in this single or its music video at all. 

While I’ve admittedly been highly critical of muted basslines in the past, I actually think it works pretty well for the sonic construction of “Shaking Off The Evil” and would like to see other bands in this genre try exploiting it in a similar way themselves. With the whole band hitting us with as much strength as they can muster from within the four walls of a recording studio, there wasn’t any need to get sludgy with the bottom-end tones here; if anything, it probably would have got in the way of the other components in the harmony. 

Those who are in need of a stronger dose of rock n’ roll this summer really don’t need to look any further for a good time than within the less than four minutes “Shaking Off The Evil” lasts. Moon Fever are entering the American underground at what feels like one of the most competitive times that a band can be coming together, but they’re not sounding intimidated by the road ahead of them here. They’re cocky and ready for whatever comes their way, and after listening to “Shaking Off The Evil,” you might even feel the same way. 

Mindy McCall