High Notes

Hello Take Me Anywhere BY NIGHT SHOP

The other day I was doing a Zoom call with a friend of mine who lives in Los Angeles and, as usual, we talked about the music we’d been listening to lately. My friend was particularly excited about a new song she had just discovered called “Hello Take Me Anywhere” which had recently been released by an act local to LA called “Night Shop”. Justin Sullivan is the man behind “Night Shop”. You might know him as the drummer for Kevin Morby, The Babies, or as a member of another LA act called “Flat Worms”. “Hello Take Me Anywhere” is a song scooped out of the timeless waters of American roots music, country music, and rock-n-roll. I like it for its laidback rock rhythm and Sullivan’s cool vocal delivery which reminds me of Bob Dylan only less nasally and more diaphragm centered. I also enjoy the subtle Creedence Clearwater Revival type acoustic guitar rhythms shuffling under the round tone of the electric guitar. “Hello Take Me Anywhere” is an impressive tune but it’s not a firework-show of a song. While listening you get the feeling that Justin Sullivan is doing anything but trying to impress you. And that’s exactly why the song pulls you in.

The production of this tune is laid back and easy to take in. It doesn’t abruptly grab you with a white-knuckle-desperate attempt to cut through the glut of music and content being spewed out day after day. No, Night Shop seems to be an act that plays its own game and shows little if any regard to what is happening on the dance floor of today’s frantic-for-attention music industry. After putting on “Hello Take Me Anywhere” I simply found myself pleasantly enjoying the music. Everything about the sound of this song holds together with a smoothness but at the same time it has some analog “hair” that especially comes through on the drums. I particularly enjoy the zappy bite of the snare drum.

Lyrically “Hello Take Me Anywhere” expresses what life has been like for many of us these days. Quarantine has, among other things, caused many to notice just how important it is to get out of the house. The line “take me anywhere” gives voice to the collective itch many of us have felt in 2020. The value of just to be able to go to one’s favorite restaurant, bar, or cafe is being felt more and more as this time of withdraw stretches on. In the fashion of great songwriters, Sullivan gives voice to what people are going through. But, he does it in a playful light way that’s fun to listen to. His choice of “steady-as-she-goes” melody and musical arrangement is a smart match for the lyrical content too. For me this song expresses what it’s like to navigate a tough time with a level head and a fun attitude.

Night Shop will likely be doing live streamed performances on Instagram in the coming weeks so be sure to look out for that. If you’d like to listen to “Hello Take Me Anywhere” or other releases by Night Shop you can find it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and most other places digital music is streamed or sold. If you’d like to know more about Justin Sullivan and Night Shop, you can find him on Instagram, and Facebook.

Enjoy!

Ron Powers is an independent A&R specialist and music industry consultant, and is constantly searching for, discovering and writing about new talent.