There are the so called 'instantaneous legendary bands', or in other words, those that rise to success and popular acclaim, a habit that musical media (even Metal mags and others) have. But do such bands deserve to be celebrities so earlier? This main question could be addressed to the North American quartet from Tennessee TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN. And "Truth and Lies" is the answer.

On this album, a mix between Classic Rock from the 70's and Southern Rock could be heard, a formula that is already used to exhaustion in the 90's. On their hands the things really work in a good shape, but nothing that is outstanding. It's on their own, has a good level of energy, but it is a band in the mean between the great names of such musical genre and those who aren't worthy of a deeper listening. Once more: it's good, but nothing more than that. The production blends the modern sound clarity and strength with an organic dirty feeling of the past. It works in a great way, matching almost perfectly what the band needs for their songs, but being clear in a way that the fans can understand what is being played. It's a good work from Joel Hamilton (producer and mixer of the album), and Joe LaPorta (the one who mastered the songs).

Musically, "Truth and Lies" sounds as a kind of fashion music for teenagers sometimes. Obviously they have talent to make good music, as the wild tempos of "On to the Next", the tender introspective feeling of "Shape I'm In" and "Eye to Eye" (the first a ballad, the second a Groove Rock filled with a nasty set of guitar riffs), the savage Rock "Drive Me Mad", the fuzzy distorted feeling of "Without You" and "Trouble" (besides both songs sound like teenager hit songs), and the depressive feeling that fills "Cry Wolf", but there's a sensation that they could be better, that they're forcing themselves into something trendy to catch more fans, what they could reach being like they want.

Maybe the quartet needs more orientation to know what they want, and how to get there, because this album sounds like they just want to become a successful act. "Truth and Lies" isn't a bad album, but it's not something that really deserves a deeper listening.