LQM Music Review: One Gun Shy’s “I Still Know”

I have to admit, I am just a sucker for a good hard rock song and One Gun Shy’s “I Still Know”, seems to satisfy my craving.

Lead singer, Bobby Znak, was kind enough to email the song to me, so I decided to check it out. This was the very first time I’d ever heard any of their music. Now, there are certain things a hard rock fan looks for in a hard rock song, such as, Does it have the hooks that keep the listener engaged? or Is the guitar arrangement powerful and does it add to the quality of the song? Because One Gun Shy has been influenced by bands like Godsmack and Metallica, I was pretty sure they’d deliver. 

I gave “I Still Know” several listens, mainly, because the song is just that good. Also, because I wanted to give each part of the song a fair analysis. Bobby Znak’s vocals are reminiscent to the likes of several of the Seattle music scene’s greatest male vocalists. When I tried to put my finger on who he reminded me of, I couldn’t come up with a specific name. I realized, that’s because Bobby’s vocals are his own. There is no mimicking of other singers, he’s just built for this genre of music. Bobby exercised professional control over his vocals, never letting them get away from the rest of the band’s playing. Cohesive, with a clear understanding of what it means to stay within the correct pitch range. Just the right amount of power, never over doing it, or drowning out anyone else.

On about the fourth go-around with this song, I started focusing on Oliver Spencer’s bass lines. While, there didn’t seem to be any one thing about Spencer’s playing that stood out to me, I did notice that the bass lines were solid enough to allow Nate Bushmaker (guitars) and Bobby to create the twisting and bending guitar riffs that made up the meat and potatoes of the song. Like a rock and roll waltz, the guitars just flowed and intertwined together, like a perfectly woven web. Backed by the heartbeat of the band, Chris Womble on drums, One Gun Shy’s “I Still Know” is a must-have on any hard rock fan’s playlist.

As of August 1st, fans can download the song, for free. Visit One Gun Shy on ReverbNation, to own a piece of what hard rock is supposed to sound like.

One Gun Shy Official Facebook Page