Sharks and Minnows strikes me as a band that needs to be seen live to be truly appreciated. Their rhythmic intricacies and classic rock style are the types of things that make you want to get up and dance, and their shows are likely just that: gigantic parties with masses of people pogoing and 80's dancing the nights away.

Musically, The Cost of Living is thoroughly enjoyable; 70's-80's style rock 'n' roll, with engineering that rivals the best X album money can buy. Technically impressive and audibly pleasing, Sharks and Minnows can definitely write a tune. Sadly however, the vocals are, at best, adequate; on tracks such as "Slow Learner" they are pretty decent indie/breathy whispers which work well enough, but on other tracks (such as the otherwise head-bobbingly good rock song "The Slip") they come off as tired and uninteresting, as if the worst of 50s rock was reincarnated for a stale reunion.

Granted, a lot of people would likely enjoy their vocals, but they just seem to come off as overplayed and not at their best. This aside, The Cost of Living is a rather fun record, and would definitely spice up any long distance road trip.

-Dave Mandell