Pressure (Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown album)

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Pressure is the fourth studio album by American rock band Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown. It was released on October 16, 2020 and recorded mostly from April 20 to May 29, 2020 at The Bombay Palace in Nashville. The album runs 42 minutes and 40 seconds and was released on the Snakefarm label. It was produced by Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown and Roger Alan Nichols.

Background
Plans for touring in France and then with Nickelback and Stone Temple Pilots were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, so the band stayed in Nashville. Bassist Noah Denney left the group around this time. The song Crazy Days came out of these pressures and was recorded with Bryant’s wife, Rebecca Lovell of Larkin Poe, at their home studio, the Bombay Palace. The label Spinefarm Records suggested Bryant record a new album at home during lockdown, so he teamed up with producer Roger Alan Nichols to make Pressure.

Recording
Work began at the Bombay Palace on April 20, 2020, with Graham Whitford and Caleb Crosby joining Bryant. Bassist Ryan Fitzgerald, who joined after Denney’s departure, also contributed. During recording, Bryant faced personal struggles and exhaustion, which affected mood and interactions in the studio. Recording finished around May 8, 2020.

Singles and promotion
Crazy Days was released as a single on August 14, 2020, together with the album announcement. Holdin’ My Breath followed on September 18, 2020, featuring Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke, who recorded his part on May 29.

Band lineup
Ryan Fitzgerald’s addition to the band was kept secret before the album’s release; he appeared only in a prerecorded live video after the album came out. No official music videos were produced for the album’s songs.

Reception
Pressure received strong early praise. Blues Rock Review called it the band’s best release yet, giving it 9.5/10 and praising its blues-rock sound and tight musicianship. Ghost Cult gave it 9/10, noting it captures the roller coaster of 2020 life. Classic Rock and Cryptic Rock each gave it 4/5 stars.