The Big Sweet

Shot of Bliss Shot of Bliss is the debut album from The Big Sweet, three sophomores at Jackson High School and a cousin from Cleveland. Don’t mind their ages though – these guys are rubbing elbows with bands from before they were born and have obviously logged a lot of hours in the garage (where did they find the time?!). The album opens with the fuzzy, catchy “Dress Up Your Mind” and a riff straight from the early ‘90s. Over its 10 songs, Shot of Bliss touches on a wide range of songwriting. Tracks like “Good & Down Youth”, an acoustic tune about the impending doom after graduation, and “Life of the Party” offers a bit of wisdom beyond the band’s years. There’s plenty of fun, though, such as the poppy charmer “Hold on Tight” and the closer “I’m Sold Out”, which builds up to a mighty climax of noise before ending the album on another of the great guitar lines found throughout. The Big Sweet cites influences like Pavement, Wilco and The Hold Steady. This album is a skillful collection of indie/art rock that should appeal to fans of any of the above. – Jim Reynolds