We at RARB are lucky to review the Sil'hooettes often, a steadfast group that particularly loves covering female rock and country legends with its own female rock power. As expected, this is a good release with some astounding leads.

My first note during the opening bars of Shock It Long! was "This lead is incredible" when Rachel Roseberg entered the chat on Only Angel. I wrote something similar for most tracks, with a firm, "This is one of the best leads I've heard in collegiate a cappella" given to Lauren LeVine for her enchanting technical prowess and abilities on It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World. Mixer James Gammon likes to put the leads so far to the front they're nearly falling off the audio stage, which you can hear clearly in tracks like Edge of Midnight. This is exactly where ladies with this kind of capability need to stand.

This said, it's difficult to hear the heavy-handed constructed production on the bass and vp when the singers are killing it. It's two separate ideas on each track: the machines and the vocalists. What ultimately needs adjusting — less from the studio or more creativity and strength from the original parts — I don't know, but I'm getting oil and water. At its rare best, the approach adds volume and power, a dazzling explosion as heard on Honeymoon Avenue; at worst, a synthetic blockiness that plods along like Red Wine Supernova.

Back to the praise: this iteration of the Sils loves mashups and handles them successfully. They're also apparently in their Stevie Nicks era, which feels absolutely right. Both interests require some serious skills to perform convincingly. Regarding the mashups, I heard the Sils' take on Dancing on My Own (I Wanna Dance) long before I heard the rest of the album, as Spotify was very insistent this song be heard immediately. (Spotify is also a Sils fan.) I was and continue to be struck by how the leads present this music; lyrics like "I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her" could come across a number of ways (corny, weird, stalkerish?), but it's simply devastating here.

And so, we have Shock It Long! from these badass Virginia ladies to listen to until their next tunes swim through the sound waves. Cheers to that.

The Sil'hooettes do strong, confident, and sassy well, and over the past two decades they've delivered albums that sound great and feature songs that highlight their sound. Shock It Long! continues on that trend, with the consistency of James Gammon behind the boards (recording, editing, mixing, and mastering) to keep the album sounding coherent with itself and across the Sils' catalogue of work.

Mash-ups are a recurring strength on Shock It Long!; one of the best is the Robyn/Whitney Houston blend Dancing on My Own (I Wanna Dance). The arrangement stays faithful to Robyn's original while also seamlessly layering Whitney Houston snippets under the main melody. It's a great, fun arrangement, courtesy of Nora Fortune. They also take on double-Maneater duty (Hall & Oates and Nelly Furtado) as well as a Miley Cyrus/Stevie Nicks crossover with Edge of Midnight. Even with some occasional rough edges here and there, these mashups give the album its spark, keeping it unmistakably Sils.

Another clutch song here is Stay, where Mia Puccio does double-duty on the arrangement and the lead vocals. The result is a sultry, flowing track that never feels rushed. And speaking of mood, the Sils close a confident take on Independent Women, Pt. 1 that's smoldering without being overblown, a reminder that the group can deliver attitude and polish at the same time. It's a perfect sendoff for the album. With clever mash-ups, confident voices, and standout arrangements, Shock It Long! is further evidence that the Sil'hooettes remain a force in a cappella — as sharp, sassy, and musically inventive as ever.

Shock It Long! reminds me of an unfortunate hike I once went on with a close friend. I am not one for hiking, but they asked for a companion and I obliged. I was excited for the chance to experience more of the world and get some exercise. By mile two, I realized I was woefully unprepared, and found myself plodding along with heavy footsteps for multiple miles. This album feels very similar. There's some beauty and intrigue, but before long this album just plods along with blocky chords and basic rhythms.

Let's look at Stay. This track is incredibly stuck in neutral. The rhythmic majority of the song is some variation of a whole beat. Whether it's sustained "doo"s, quarter note "doh"s, bass-line "dm"s, or some other, this track sits so heavily on the beat. There is no natural flow to be found. Most parts move together, almost like a piano player simply playing the chords. Furthermore, the dynamics stay the same for the entire piece. Everything sits in a middle dynamic with minimal crescendos or diminuendos. The only thing that can add any sort of intrigue is Mia Puccio's solo. The group is just trundling along with a glaring lack of variation. Whether it's different rhythms between the parts to create a moving tapestry, macro dynamics to highlight the big moments, or micro dynamics to give the phrases some direction, this track desperately needs something to keep the listener's attention. It's not the only track, but it's most certainly noticeable here.

That's not to say that every track does this. Edge of Midnight makes a case for the Sils' capabilities. This track is ever-changing and growing. Puccio's arrangement is approachable, but is also full of new ideas and doesn't let anything get stale. However, there's still room for growth. The dynamics are still lacking. We get a hint of dynamic variance during the bridge, but it is short lived, and there is minimal impact in the biggest moments.

Much like the end of that long hike, I started to reflect on what I just experienced. There are no truly bad moments across the album. There are no cacophonic moments or ill-advised rhythms. However, there are few truly high moments. Much like a lovely panoramic view surrounded by trees, I was hoping for even just a few moments that truly made me stop and listen. I wanted something that would make the experience worth the time. However, after a long journey, I'm ready to return home and wait for the next outing.