King Falcon’s “Shake! Shake! Shake”

From the moment that its signature white-hot lick purrs away from the silence, there’s a sense of bluesy rock swagger in King Falcon’s “Shake! Shake! Shake” that is almost certain to make anyone listening want to synchronize their hips with the rhythm of the instrumentation. King Falcon turn up the volume for this guitar-driven single, and while it’s easily one of the more muscular rock songs I’ve had the pleasure of spinning this month, I wouldn’t cite this as the primary reason why it caught my attention. “Shake! Shake! Shake!” has a carnal aggressiveness to its stylization, and though its amplified heat is definitely one of the sexier features it boasts, its greatest gem is its compositional integrity – which is becoming increasingly scarce in contemporary rock.

URL: https://kingfalconband.com/

Initially delivered in a stomping groove, the percussion that accompanies the melodic components in this song evolves into a relaxed swing by the time we reach the chorus, further serving as a catalyst for catharsis from beneath the smothering layer of guitar-vocal harmonies in the mix. I definitely think King Falcon are going out of their way to emphasize their rhythmic prowess here, and as much as I enjoy the fretwork up top, the backend of the track is what ultimately shapes the tone of the music more than anything else does. As its title would imply, “Shake! Shake! Shake!” is seemingly determined to make us move, and more often than not, it accomplishes precisely what its creators had in mind when crafting every one of these beats in the studio.

The music video for “Shake! Shake! Shake!” is simple, playful and moderately lusty – perhaps a perfect amalgamative reflection of what this band appears to be all about. The melodies and the grooves that frame them are the main focus, and though there’s an argument to be made that it’s a little more on the conservative side in comparison to some of the other rock videos making a splash in 2020, it doesn’t feel lacking in any specific department at all. In general, I think it was smart of King Falcon to keep this early offering on the simplistic side, if for no other reason than to properly exhibit the bones of their songcraft without any unnecessary fluff or filler getting between the artists and their audience.

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Shake-King-Falcon/dp/B084X3SR56

King Falcon’s “Shake! Shake! Shake!” has a familiar framework but a genuinely original sway to its rhythm that is almost certain to get a reaction out of rock fans this summer, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this sentiment became the consensus among critics at all. There’s something to be said about stripped-down musicality that manages to deliver as many thrills and chills as any of the dramatically overproduced content coming off of the FM side of the dial would, and here, King Falcon make it abundantly clear how big an impact they want to make with their style of play. They’ve got my attention for sure, and if given the opportunity, I think their new single and music video will help win yours as well.

Mark Druery