Texas native Shane Bartell spent several years as the guitarist for the female-fronted band Cling and shared the stage with such big names as Liz Phair and Oasis. After deciding to focus on a solo career, Bartell was named one of the best three showcases at the 2001 SXSW music conference. Shane’s success there enabled his first EP, Reference, to get some international exposure and airplay.
Bartell soon began working with producer Lars Goransson (Blondie, The Cardigans) on his debut album Too Soon To Say. That album is an exploration of the ups and downs in a relationship. Bartell’s vocal style conveys the emotional hurt of a man who's had his heart broken once or twice.
Shane Bartell shines on songs with musical arrangements that border on the power ballad style. On the track “Almost Perfect,” Bartell shows a wide range of emotion when he sings, “Oh, why won’t you go? / Why won’t you say it’s all too much for me?” Throbbing drums and a loud, fast guitar riffs add to the sense of urgency in the song. Bartell reaches an emotional highpoint on “Almost Perfect,” using a rock and roll backdrop.
Despite the power ballad tone of “Almost Perfect,” much of Too Soon To Say has a much quieter feel, and sounds like the style Shane Bartell is most comfortable with. Methodically singing about relationship woes, backed by a tense guitar and some keyboards is this guy’s specialty. “There Were Times” effectively documents the period of time when the woman is not quite ready to move on, but you are, or vice versa. Who can’t relate to that?
The first time I listened to Too Soon To Say, I thought, “What a depressing record.” However, as I listened again, I realized that Too Soon To Say is really an album that can make you feel better after a breakup or fight with a significant other. Pop Too Soon To Say into your CD or on your MP3 player and you will feel like Shane Bartell understands everything you're going through.
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