Akasic

Have you had a good hot meal lateley? The members of Akasic are serving up a plate of originality with a healthy side of rock. It is guaranteed to satisfy.

Two things immediately stand out while listening to the CD "Blind". The vocals range beautifully throughout much of the album with a style akin to Fleetwood Mac on steroids; the delivery of "Grateful" is infectious with the only cure being several repeated listenings.

The guitar work is by far the most driving force on the album. It is evident Akasic's guitarist Shawn Jenkins is a force to be reckoned with. On tracks like "Cracked View" and "Ethan's Song" he shows both melodic beauty and rock aggression.

No matter which way you slice it, Akasic smells of major talent. If there is anything right in this world, you will see this band nationally soon! - Independent Alliance

"... Guitarist S. Bradley Jenkins has a smooth hand and lays down some fluid guitar lines over the course of the disc. His ability to texture the band’s work with a dreamy, almost ethereal quality is augmented nicely by J.T. Sharp on bass...

Perhaps the best example of Jenkins’ soaring, slightly Edge-like guitar work is the instrumental piece “Ode to Mimi”, which is built upon his phrasing...

Also working in their favor is Jenkins’ sense of dynamics. Whether building slowly to a crescendo, as on title track “Blind”, or constructing a more Nirvana-esque mellow/thrash dichotomy on “Morgan’s Place”, the tension of the band’s music is primarily what captures the listener’s attention...

For the most part, I find rock music in general to be lacking strong female voices that don’t grate on my nerves. She has a strong yet mellow alto that can be very confident and smooth when she keeps within her solid range...

Akasic has a new EP in progress with the most current line-up and are aiming for a November release. I’ll be more likely to look forward to the new release, than glance back to Blind. Until that time, look for the band to be hitting the streets, building on their strength as a performing band."

–- Gary Hizer, Urban Tulsa
- Urban Tulsa

Shawn Jenkins, guitarist/lyricist for the local female-fronted act Akasic, writes songs for his leading lady Nic Smith.

The 20-year-old Smith infuses Jenkins' lyrics with life as she blows her smoky, impassioned vocals over them.

The result of the pair's collaborations is Akasic's new five-song EP "Evolve," which the band will release Thursday at Cain's Ballroom.

In a recent sit-down interview with Jenkins and Smith, the guitarist explained that "Unforgiven Saint" is about not letting a rough start in life hold you back. "Smile" is a valentine written for a friend and "Unwind" finds its heroine asking for divine help to make it through life.

During the interview, Smith commended Jenkins' ability to write songs from a woman's perspective.

"It's the best man therapy there is," she said. "If you can write from a woman's perspective then you got it."

--Matt Gleason

- Tulsa World