It was 2 years ago this Monday that The Shelters took us to outer space and back with their sophomore release, Jupiter Sidecar. A modern day classic rock-esque band with a surf rock and Laurel Canyon flair, The Shelters are nothing if not cosmic, and this release was no exception. To honor its two-year anniversary, allow me to tell you all about what Jupiter Sidecar means to me.
The Shelters have been one of my all-time favorite bands for a while now, ever since I discovered them on Tom Petty’s Sirius XM channel, and I’ll never forget the excitement I felt for the release of this album. I remember very clearly the night this record came out, and sitting down on my bed, headphones in hand, waiting ever so impatiently for the record to drop on Spotify, so I could give it my first listen the second it was released. I remember listening in awe, letting all my initial reactions to each song show on my face even though no one was there to see. I was partying on my own and loving every second of it.
That’s kind of what Jupiter Sidecar ended up becoming for me, the soundtrack to my “by myself” party. At that point in my life, I’d drifted apart from most of my friends from high school, friends in college were a little more difficult to make when you live 30 minutes away from campus in the next town over, life was busy and chaotic in every way imaginable, and through all of that, I was struggling to come into my own and find my identity. Getting personal here, I know, but this record finding its way into my life at that time was everything I needed. The vibes, the feelings, and the messages that I’ve pulled out of these tracks have guided me through all of that, and silly as it may sound to those who aren’t as passionate about music, where I stand now is due in part to the inspiration I pulled from this record.
I find that when I listen to any one of these tracks, even just two years after their release, I’m taken back to that time of self-discovery, identity formation, and self-betterment. I’m nowhere near done with any of those things by a long shot, but listening now, it’s like getting a see a progress report. I can feel in my heart how far I’ve come, and the records that have been a part of that journey are extra special to me.
Since discovering them, The Shelters have broadened my horizons to new sounds and new genres. After having consumed just about every piece of Shelters-related content, I’ve developed a passion for so many new-to-me artists and songs (e.g., Link Wray, Charlie Rich, The Kinks, Jet Harris, Duane Eddy), and I’ve enhanced my love for genres I was only moderately familiar with (e.g., surf rock, Laurel Canyon, 60s garage rock). As a result, I’ve taken in so much content and done so much research into the music and bands of these genres. Because of The Shelters, I’ve fallen in love with so much music that I might never have otherwise.
This record takes all of that to the next level. With their mixing of rock ‘n’ roll, synth-pop, folk, surf rock, Laurel Canyon, garage rock, and so many more sounds that are simply genre-less, Jupiter Sidecar will show you more music in its 45-minute duration than you can even handle. It’ll take you places you’ve never been, and you won’t be able to help yourself but to go back and visit again and again.
It becomes evident very quickly with The Shelters that they’re an incredible rock band that knows how to deliver hard-hitting rock that makes you want to get up or go out and dance your brains out, but where I think the band especially shines is in their ballads, and “Kimberly” is the pinnacle of that glow. Josh Jové romanticizes an overseas short-term romance that both parties know won’t be anything but that, short-term, in such a way that every time I listen I find myself longing for a “Kimberly” experience of my own. This track is dreamy and beautiful in every way, and though the romance described isn’t one that is meant to last, I still find it to be of the most beautiful love songs I’ve ever heard.
The use of strings on this track is hypnotizing – I find this song to be the perfect wind-down-and-relax song, perfect for daydreaming and de-stressing. For maximum effect, it must be listened to in a certain way, with headphones on and eyes closed, to let the bass line played on the cello fill your ears a little better, to hear the folky, Pure Prairie League-like chime of the mandolin (I’m a sucker for mandolins!), and to allow Josh Jové’s beautiful voice and story to wash over you. Situated between two hard-hitting rock ‘n’ roll numbers, “Kimberly” is The Shelters’ most beautiful and folky piece of work yet. It may very well be my favorite on the album.
Jupiter Sidecar also gave me one the greatest gifts an album can give: a hype song - a song that you can crank up to 10 and scream along to at the top of your lungs, a song that boosts your mood and builds your confidence, a song that just plain makes you happy. For me, that song is “Bad Dreams.” It’s loud, it’s catchy, it’s rock ‘n’ roll. I listen to it every single time I need hype for something. I can’t even begin to tell you what all I’ve blasted “Bad Dreams” before, but I always kick things off with “Kimberly” to destress and calm down, then follow it up with this one to boost my confidence and my energy, before every single exam I’ve taken since this record dropped. At this point, it’s like a ritual, and I love doing it. I can’t help but feel better after listening to it, and hey, it’s worked out well for me thus far!
Not only is this record filled with sonically fantastic stuff, there’s also some really deep lyrical substance happening too. Let’s talk “Waiting for Life to Begin” - if you’re a lover of lyrics, this track right here is for you. I find this one to be the most inspirational track on the record, but it does so without being cliché or nauseating. Sonically, it’s heavy in all the right ways, and that juxtaposition only amplifies the message I believe the lyrics are conveying. One lyric in particular stands out to me over everything else:
“You were encouraged to see the light
It was inside of you all along
Why was it so hard to find?”
Every time I hear this song I find myself singing this line the loudest. On a personal note, this track, and this line in particular, has helped me through these past 2 years of self-discovery and personal betterment. This is what makes The Shelters one of my favorite bands – their music always finds a way to speak just what I need to hear every time I listen.
I wasted so much time thinking ‘if I can just get through this one thing, then I can start living the life I want to live.’ Every time I got through that “one thing,” there would be another thing I had to get through. When I heard this song for the first time, I realized that I was sat completely still, letting life carry on without me. I still have a long way to go, but I made a promise to myself from that day forward that I would do everything I can to stop “waiting for life to begin.” Life began a long time ago – it’s time to keep up.
In addition to the depth this record seems to have, it’s also just plain fun to listen to. There’s something about Chase Simpson’s voice that just brightens everything up and gets you rockin’ (see “Hourglass,” “Tangled Up,” “Can’t Go Home”). Josh Jové’s hard-hitting guitar work and Sebastian Harris’ drums drive the tracks and give that quintessential rock ‘n’ roll energy. The passion the three of them have is evident in every note, and that make Jupiter Sidecar all the more enjoyable to listen to.
I’ll never get over the chemistry this band seems to have. One of my favorite things The Shelters do is when Chase Simpson and Josh Jové sing together – the interplay between and the blend of their voices are mind-blowing and integral to The Shelters’ sound. That interplay between their voices is mirrored in their songwriting. Even though many songs on the record are written by Simpson and Jové individually, they feel for the most part like pure collaboration, likely because Simpson and Jové play the majority of the instruments on this record themselves. Of course, you can’t leave out Sebastian Harris’ drumming; he’s the backbone of The Shelters, and they wouldn’t be the same without him. They seem to be the perfect trio, united in a common goal to take rock ‘n’ roll as far as it’ll go, and never losing sight of that.
I’ve already gone on about this record for FAR too long, but I can’t overstate not only how much this record has meant to me in my life, but how absolutely phenomenal it is even for those who won’t connect with it in such personal ways like I have. Jupiter Sidecar is an incredible collection of music for the lover of classic rock and the lover of modern sounds alike. No matter what hits you hardest, the sonics or the lyrics, there’s something for everyone to love on this record. As I celebrate two years of this masterpiece being out in the world, I hope you’ll put it on and see exactly what I’m talking about. I think you’ll be quite happy you did.
Here’s hoping The Shelters return to the touring circuit very soon so I can finally hear these songs that have changed my entire world in person, but until then, I’ll put the needle down on Jupiter Sidecar yet again!