You might have missed: Shook

I had never heard of Shook, the San Francisco-based artist and producer, until I heard "Aquaworld" on the radio and realized this was an artist who would revolutionize music. Although not mainstream, Shook's self-titled album is worth a listen for his genius rhythms.\n"Aquaworld," the second track on the album, is pure melodic heaven. Eerie melodies combined with soft vocals create the illusion of being underwater. I just wanted to lie on my bed and float away. Plucks of the guitar, a keyboard and what sounded like maracas create the song's underbelly, while Shook whispers to listeners about his life.\nThe melodic pop song "Spin" sounds like a combination of industrial music and Beck's techno sound. The result is a piece of ear candy that will have you dancing in your seat. Also good is the hauntingly beautiful "My Intuition." With lyrics like Tell me I won't cry, I already know/'Cause my intuition tells me so, listeners will be wishing for lost loves. Part of the genius of Shook's album is his ability to bring the listener up with a funky pop song, bring them down with a love ballad and take them back up again with a techno-infused song. And it starts from track one, the fun and lively "So Close," and continues all the way until the end of the CD.\nThe main problem Shook has is lyrics. Although the songs are musically beautiful, the lyrics need some polishing. With a penchant for rhyming and the use of cheesy phrases like "aquahome" and "aquapearls," this CD might be somewhat lost if it weren't for the incredible mix of rock, pop, techno and rhythm and blues. The CD is great, but I expect to see more improvement lyrically in Shook's next offering.\nLime Records describes Shook's music as "Prince and Jamiroquai meet Beck." That is a good description, but it does not do justice to the brilliance of this record. With his ability to blend fast songs and slow songs, this album is the perfect music to make out to, dance to or just relax to. You might never have heard of him, but the CD is worth a listen if only for the incredible music Shook generates.