The Sheila Divine -- Where Have My Countrymen Gone

8/10

I thought The Sheila Divine's rocking debut, New Parade, promised enough good things to warrant a purchase of their second album, Where Have My Countrymen Gone. From the opening searching, emotion-soaked guitar notes, it's clear this is a band that's grown in two years--both in skill, and in number. They've got a lead guitar player now, meaning their attempts at longer songs are more textured and complex. The incredible building power of the five minute-plus "Spirits," as well as album opener, "Countrymen," with its haunting falsetto, attest to that. Thankfully, the band haven't forgotten the punchy shorter songs either. "Ostrich" features a hook that lets vocalist, Aaron Perrino, blow the roof off, his hurricane-launching throat finding good company with an excellent guitar lead line in the outro. If I haven't made it clear yet, that second guitar really benefits The Sheila Divine's sound.

Not mincing words, this is a terrific album, with great sequencing early on, with songs diverse in sound, yet flowing flawlessly into one another. It's only in the closing trio that the album falters a little--the lighter "Monarchs" would have made a great penultimate track, instead breaking the momentum between the two emotionally heavier tracks it's sandwiched between. Still, Where Have My Countrymen Gone is a career standout, showing the kind of growth any fan would want to see between a band's first and second album.

2001 Co-Op Pop Records
1. Countrymen 4:44
2. Ostrich 2:44
3. Wanting Is Wasted 4:12
4. Antidote 3:32
5. Sideways 2:52
6. Every Year 3:34
7. Walking Dead (Who Speak) 4:00
8. Spirits 5:22
9. Monarchs 3:38
10. Some Kind of Home 3:43
11. Vanishing Act 3:10