Shorthanded
Salem, Oregon8 reviews across 3 releases
Shorthanded is a Salem, Oregon, punk trio formed in 1995. Andy Wiseman, who had played bass in Crux, moved to guitar and lead vocals, while the group built its early sound from skaterock energy, with songs that stopped and started around fast drumming and high, tightly tuned backing vocals. The 1996 debut was aggressive new-school punk, though its reviewers found the focus on girl troubles less convincing than the playing. Simple widened the format into 14 melodic punk songs with plain guitar tones and direct vocals. By Forever Yours in 2000, the band had a cleaner pop-punk sound, with varied tempos and walking bass lines, but much of the material stayed in one vein. Wiseman's lyrics also became less narrowly romantic, including a song about pornography and a sharper attack on religious followers.
Steve Davis left soon after the band's formation, and Jason Zeh took over bass as Wiseman settled into the guitar role. Tooth & Nail signed Shorthanded in 1999, moving the Salem trio from Boot to Head; Forever Yours was produced by Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton. The record drew divided responses, with some hearing a capable, friendly melodic punk band and others hearing an overly close Descendents imitation. Activity then became quiet while the members pursued other work. In the early 2020s, the trio reconnected, with Stevenson involved again, and Shorthanded began issuing new singles. Loco Lucky appeared in 2022, followed by Arabica and Waiting Up at Home in 2023. The band remains active.
3 releases reviewed
Shorthanded
Simple
