It’s been a big summer for Philadelphia rock n’ roll five-piece Sheer Mag. The band released their long-awaited debut album, Need To Feel Your Love, in July and launched a headlining club tour shortly afterward. Now Omaha will get its chance to see one of the best new rock bands around as the group rolls into the Reverb Lounge Tuesday, September 19.
Though technically Need To Feel Your Love is the group’s first record, Sheer Mag have been releasing a steady stream of EPs (I, II, and III if you are interested, which you should be) since 2014. For those of you who are fans of ‘70s AM hard rock, the band should hit your brain’s pleasure center directly. Tina Halladay is a noted Thin Lizzy fan and Kyle Seely has stated that Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham was a big influence, neither of which are bad folks to be drawing inspiration from.
While the early EPs are pure hard rock swagger and punk energy, Need To Feel Your Love finds the group dipping into other genres. Nile Rogers and ABBA are both noted as influences on the new record and you can hear flecks of disco on tracks like “Need to Feel Your Love” and “Pure Desire.” Maybe it’s a bit of stretch, but I also get a touch of prime Johnny Marr (another noteworthy Nile Rogers fan) reverberating through the album as well.
With all these references, you’re probably thinking Sheer Mag sound more like a cover band than anything else. They don’t. Halladay’s howl is unmistakable and Kyle Seely is one of the best riff generators in recent memory. The band is held together by the tight rhythm section composed of Hart Seely (Kyle’s brother) on bass, Matt Palmer on guitar, and Ian Dykstra on drums. They are a true thrill on record and I can’t imagine their live show falling anywhere short of that.