Shoes' Gary Klebe Celebrates Solo Album With 'Eyes Wide Open' Video

(MPG) Gary Klebe of the pioneering power pop band Shoes releases his debut solo LP Out Loud via Black Vinyl Records. In stark contrast to his work with the cult favorite group, this upcoming record is more than just Klebe's first solo album, it's a one-man operation, written alone and tracked almost entirely without outside help.

To accompany the release, Klebe released the self-made official video for "Eyes Open Wide" from the LP. The gritty, mostly black-and-white clip makes astute use of color to hammer the track's message across: there will always be light at the end of the tunnel.

On "Eyes Open Wide," Klebe shares: "This song may resonate differently with different people. The lyrics were intended to be a positive spin on the experience of reaching the end of a long journey, possibly life itself. We trust that everything will be understood and put into perspective where it all makes perfect sense. The song suggests that good things await us. Most importantly, as one journey ends, another begins. In vivid color."

Serving as his own engineer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Klebe recorded Out Loud on nights and weekends, following his work on the most recent album by Shoes. Drums were tracked in Nashville with John Richardson (Gin Blossoms, Badfinger, Tommy Keene, Shoes), but the rest of Out Loud came together in Klebe's basement studio, largely recorded with his favorite stompboxes and vintage gear from his vast collection.

While making music without his longtime collaborators wandered into unfamiliar territory for Klebe, the finished product is expertly crafted power pop akin to the songs that made Shoes such a well-regarded, influential and ahead-of-its-time band. The LP's first single "Not Tough Enough" is a perfect example of this, earning praise as "...a timeless power-pop song, a crisp and propulsive hook-machine that could've plausibly been written at any point over the past 50 years" by Stereogum.

Shoes is still making music, over 50 years since their inception. They've gone through many phases and iterations - from recording their 1977 breakthrough Black Vinyl Shoes in the band's own living room (predating the DIY approach of the punk movement) to a major-label run on Elektra for a period of time in the '70s and '80s. There is still more new Shoes music to come, but for now, Klebe has made an album that bridges the past and the present with the newfound vulnerability that comes with going at it alone. Stream the album here and watch the video below:

Shoes' Gary Klebe Shares New Song 'Room To Breathe'

Shoes' Gary Klebe Announces Debut Solo Album With 'Not Tough Enough' Stream

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