Speaking on the creation of his album Ghost Town Directory (Beverly Martel) Shine says My last album A Force Of One was purposely going after a classic late 70's power pop sound, even going so far as to use veteran producer Earle Mankey (Sparks, Beach Boys, Concrete Blonde) to recreate the vibe of that era. I did a ton of touring after that album, much of which was solo acoustic shows and I decided that before I recorded my new album I was just going to write songs on my acoustic guitar not geared toward any specific genre; just songs that worked by themselves without outside adornment. When it came time to record the music, Shine linked up with good friend and noted producer Noah Shain, fresh off work with acts like As Tall As Lions, Me Talk Pretty and The Secret Handshake. The results feature a wide screen sound which give Shine's already anthemic tunes a radio ready sheen. Gutsy rockers like the opening All I've Got is Love (co-written with Shine's wife Adrienne Pierce, also a noted performer) and the hometown kiss-off Against the Night mingle with more atmospheric tracks like Here With Me and Simple, the latter featuring rich pads of harmonies in a decidedly 70s vein. Though he tackled all the instruments and vocals during the sessions, drums were handled by LA traps master Chris Cano, best known for his work in another Shain produced project Orson, as well as hip hop/Latin rock road warriors Ozomatli. Shine has racked up plenty of miles himself through the U.S., U.K. and Canada, opening for artists like Rhett Miller, John Doe, Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers, Redd Kross, Silversun Pickups, The Donnas, Liam Finn and many others. Most recently Ari was handpicked to support Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters on his entire summer 2010 solo tour. I'm proud of how much I've toured over the past few years. The wide range of artists I have played with has really helped me grow as a performer and as a writer. It's a testament to the strength of the songs when you can just strap on a guitar and play to an audience who have come for an entirely different style of music and have them leave as fans. Indeed, from the unabashed exuberance of songs like All I've Got Is Love to the sophisticated mix of melody and mayhem embraced on Here With Me, Shine shines and puts many artists boasting a far lengthier trajectory on notice that they face formidable competition. Here's an up and comer who's got his groove, both literally and figuratively, and even a first listen is all it takes to convince. Ghost Town Directory not only begs repeated returns, but gets better and more engaging every single time.-NO DEPRESSION the concentration on hooks and harmonies ensures that the songs always hit the right spot whether it is the medium pace mode of the bright 'Refuge in You' the gentle reflections of 'Simple' or the rockier tones of 'Against the Night'. -AMERICANA-UK There is a definite folk vibe streaming through Ghost Town Directory. Kind of Wilco meets Elvis Costello with a pinch of Elliott Smith for good measure. Ari is a cockeyed love struck optimist with a voice that sails in on a cloud to tell you a charming story. -MEZZIC Ari Shine seems to be on a direct path to success. Shine makes instantly accessible pop music that could easily be appreciated and understood by the masses. At the center of the tunes are Ari's confident yet never oversung vocals. This guy's got a smooth voice that is a perfect fit for modern pop rock. -LNMOP.
COM This 10 track collection of driving pop rock tunes figures to have a broad appeal with it's numerous catchy guitar riffs and plenty of catchy choruses. -MCKEESPORT DAILY NEWS Ari Shine has managed to capture the most classic elements of rock and roll...full of guitar arrangements that are both interesting and characteristic. -ALTSOUNDS The standout track is One Silver Morning, which has a raw energy to the backing tracks that sounds like what Ozomatli might sound like if they merged with Calexico and Drive-By Truckers. -STEREO SUBVERSION 'All I've Got Is Love' proudly wears glam jive, not sawdu
