My love affair with the Big Apple's
Shift stemmed from an excellent 1994 ep titled
Pathos, that only seems to satisfy more with age. Treading not so lightly in the footsteps of Quicksand, Shift took a slightly milder tact, gently sanding down the more serrated edges of those local post-hardcore stalwarts without blunting the impact. The band's
Spacesuit album followed a year later on Equal Vision Records, and was eventually re-released in identical form for their new homestead, Columbia. As is most often the case, punk/indie/alt bands that sign to a major label undergo something of an "overhaul," or in this instance, a "shift" (he he). Enter 1998's
Get In, a slightly more commercial venture that didn't lure in the swarms they had hoped for (but I'm sure weren't counting on either), particularly given that Sony's promotion staff was seemingly out to lunch or too busy pushing Oasis albums. Taken at face value,
Get In's emphasis track "I Want to Be Rich," cries out for the type of admiration most big label contenders are pining for, but given Shift's relatively cerebral bent I have to wonder if it's refrain: "
I want to be rich beyond my wildest dreams, and I want everyone to love me," was actually spoken of in jest, or at the very least, half irony. In any case, this promo CD features the song in question, as well as four songs unavailable on
Get In, some of which are pretty damn good. This ep was also issued as a 10" ep if I recall.
01. I Want to Be Rich
02. Passionfruit
03. Crying for You
04. The Distance Machine
05. Smile
http://rapidshare.com/files/448817837/shift_getrich.rar
