Tarnish By Gray - Artist Overview

Hear The Track Here

I must say the one thing the internet really delivers is the ability to keep up with friends, even with friends you've never met. When I first started reviewing out of Soundclick one of the first real bands I ran into was Canadian classic rockers Soul Dust and for a while there they were in the running for my favourite all time Soundclick rock band, then fate decided to lend a hand and off they all went their separate ways. The only member I've regularly run into since then is vocalist Myk Shaflik, once or twice with his later band Catapult and since then nothing. True to internet form, he pops up a couple of weeks ago with three tracks from Tarnish By Gray, his 'solo' project. Just in case you were wondering, he is not JUST a vocalist, he is a consummate rock vocalist and you don't run across to many of them.

Sooo, I got three tracks from a promised upcoming full CD set due in late summer and I see from his MySpazz page that rock is the name of the game still, even if it's adopted an Alternative overcoat. Angel is the first track out of the box and if you have any doubts as to my claims about this singer in the first paragraph, then this will dispel it. Coming from a kind of Zep influenced acoustic rock number, Myk's vocals (all of them) fit the track perfectly as does the spare but effective backing and the crystal sharp acoustic guitar sound. You won't find that track on the Tarnish By Gray's page, so you'll just have to take my word about it's qualities. You will find, however, both Erotic and Drown on the website and - to be honest - these tracks sound much more like the Myk Shaflik I know. The odd juxtaposition of banjo's and other World instruments and the solid, heavy rock of the main track is - to my ears - particularly impressive. Erotic is everything I would have expected from this musician and then some.

Drown is the final track, and where Myk truly lets rip with that Rock God voice of his, a very recognisable snarl that works on this (gulp) ballad as if to the manor born. If anything signifies where Myk's heart really lies then I'd say Drown is a good example. Classic rock is where I first met him, and classic rock remains his chosen niche, no matter what other names it is dressed up in. Back in the day, which you know I remember, some of the very best rock tracks were this kind; moody, dark, tortured and yeah, with ballad qualities. Despite my avowed aversion to ballads in general, I can take them when there is a point to it. What it shows - more than any other track - is that I am not one to use idle words so let me just go over that one more time...

Consummate. Rock. Vocalist. MUST HAVE classic rock.