Top 10 Sheer Mag Songs

Photo: LordofPoms, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our top ten Sheer Mag songs list looks at the work of a very good new rock band from Pennsylvania who have been in existence since 2014. They combine a wide variety of styles that are heavily influenced by music from the 1970s such as disco, punk, and soul.

The band’s lineup consists of vocalist Christina Halladay, rhythm guitarist Matt Palmer, lead guitarist Kyle Seely, and his brother Hart Seely on bass. They have had a few different drummers with Giacomo Zattie currently acting as their live drummer. All of the members met while studying at the State University of New York. They formed the band after graduating. Later that year they recorded their self-titled debut seven-inch which they put out on their label. This release received good reviews and they soon went on tour afterwards and secured a deal in the UK with Static Shock Records. After releasing two more ep’s in 2015 and 2016, all of their material was cobbled together for a compilation.

In 2017, they released their debut full-length album Need To Feel Your Love. This was followed in 2019 by A Distant Call.

This is a really good band who are fairly new to the scene and with this list we hope to introduce them to any of our readers who may not yet have them on their radar. They have been acclaimed by several leading publications as a band to watch out for with “Rolling Stone” being particularly enthusiastic fans. They have also performed on Late Night With Seth Myers. Here is a list of the ten best songs from their two full-length albums released so far.

# 10 – Just Can’t Get Enough

Kicking off our top ten Sheer Mag songs list is this track taken from their debut album Need To Feel Your Love released in 2017. Although it did not make any chart ground, it did receive much acclaim by being included in many publication’s Album of the Year lists. This was the lead single to be released from the record.

# 9 – Fan The Flames

Continuing with our Top 10 Sheer Mag songs list we dig deep into the earlier part of their catalog to their second EP released in 2015. The song Fan The Flames is a pure pop rock gem. The sound quality is not that great because the EP was only released on cassette which may seem crazy in the modern world of the 2020s. Yet, one can still hear the makings of a great song.

# 8 – What You Want

In the number eight spot on our top 10 Sheer Mag songs list we present the smoking track “What You Want.” There is just something incredibly addicting to all of this music. The guitar licks are so classic rock sounding in the same vein as bands like Foghat and Mott The Hoople. This is just so much fun to listen to. The song “What You Want,” was the opening track on the grand compilation album released in 2017.

# 7 – Blood From A Stone

This is the first song on this list to be taken from the band’s second album A Distant Call released in 2019. It is easily one of the best tracks on the album. Although it is a little more accessible sounding, it does not mean that the band has “sold out” by any means. It still has enough of the tough attitude that makes this band appealing.

# 6 – Meet Me In The Street

The next song from the first album is the opening track which is rather reminiscent of Bon Scott-era AC/DC. This was a feeling shared by several critics who compared it to the Australian rock behemoths. This track is one of the more protest-based on the record, directly inspired by guitarist Matt Palmer’s experience at the protests against the inauguration of Donald Trump.

# 5 – Hardly To Blame

Up next we have another track from the second album which was its second single. This also has a more accessible sound but is still powerful and passionate sounding. The album was met with a very positive reception from critics. It mixes a lot styles such as traditional rock n roll, punk, and pop, and even has some elements of metal.

# 4 – Pure Desire

Next, we have another brilliant track from the first album that is one of the tracks that got the band compared to the likes of Nile Rodgers. You can certainly see that here, as this track has a disco feel to it without actually being disco. It is played in the alternative rock style and it has something of a retro feel to it.

# 3 – Suffer Me

At number three is the third and final single to be taken from the first record. The style of this song is also rooted in seventies-style music, this time being quite country-tinged. The album was acclaimed for its diverse range of styles but did face some criticism for sometimes relying too much on influence from older music.

# 2 – Until You Find The One

Just off the top spot is a track from the first record that is very short at just under two minutes and is minimalist in its approach featuring only vocals and guitar. This gives a folk feel, being somewhat similar in sound to Billy Bragg. The band is also similar to Bragg in their lyrics which are a mixture of romantic and political themes.

# 1 – Except The Bayonet

At the top of our Sheer Mag songs list is this track that has helped the band to get recognition by being used as the song for Bernie Sanders’ campaign rally in Queens New York. It obviously gets across where the band stands politically. What this shows is that this a band who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in a time where there is such a lack of activism from musical artists. They are a promising young band and hopefully, anyone reading this will go on to familiarise themselves with them.