# Street Light Shine

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Light_Shine
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{{use mdy dates|date=December 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Street Light Shine
| type       = studio
| artist     = [the Shirts](/source/the_Shirts)
| cover      = Street Light Shine.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = 1979
| recorded   = 
| venue      =
| studio     = 
| genre      = [Rock](/source/Rock_music)
| length     = 
| label      = [Capitol](/source/Capitol_Records)
| producer   = [Mike Thorne](/source/Mike_Thorne)
| prev_title = The Shirts
| prev_year  = 1979
| next_title = Inner Sleeve
| next_year  = 1980
}}
'''''Street Light Shine''''' is the second album by the American band [the Shirts](/source/the_Shirts), released in 1979.<ref>{{cite book |last1=York |first1=William |title=Who's Who in Rock Music |date=1982 |publisher=Scribner |page=324}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Around Town |magazine=New  York |date=September 3, 1979 |volume=12 |issue=34 |page=19}}</ref> They supported it with a North American tour.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Shirts rock band in free concert at FSU |work=The Fresno Bee |date=November 2, 1979 |page=H11}}</ref> "Out on the Ropes" was released as a single.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Olson |first1=Nick |title=Albums |work=The Northern Echo |date=October 25, 1979 |page=8}}</ref>

==Production==
The album was produced by [Mike Thorne](/source/Mike_Thorne).<ref>{{cite news |title=Albums |work=Reading Evening Post |date=November 10, 1979 |page=10}}</ref> The songwriting was shared by the six bandmembers.<ref name="MN">{{cite news |last1=Margulies |first1=Stuart |title=Shirts' 'Shine' missing some glow |work=Morning News |date=September 1, 1979 |page=37}}</ref> "Triangulum" is a science fiction narrative.<ref name=DB/>. "Outside the Cathedral Door" contains elements of [prog rock](/source/prog_rock).<ref name=AM/>

==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)
|rev1score = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="AM">{{cite web |title=Street Light Shine Review by Mark Deming |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/street-light-shine-mw0000849786 |website=AllMusic |access-date=December 28, 2025}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[Alternative Rock](/source/Dave_Thompson_(author))''
|rev2score = 7/10<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Dave |title=Alternative Rock |date=2000 |publisher=Miller Freeman Books |page=808}}</ref>
|rev3 = [Robert Christgau](/source/Robert_Christgau)
|rev3score = B−<ref name="RC">{{cite web |title=The Shirts |url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=3705 |website=Robert Christgau |access-date=December 28, 2025}}</ref>
|rev4 = ''[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music](/source/The_Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music)''
|rev4score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2006 |publisher=MUZE |volume=7 |page=424}}</ref>
|rev5 = ''[The Great Indie Discography](/source/Martin_C._Strong)''
|rev5score = 4/10<ref>{{cite book |last1=Strong |first1=Martin C. |title=The Great Indie Discography |date=2003 |publisher=Canongate |page=141}}</ref>
|rev6 = ''[The Muncie Star](/source/The_Muncie_Star)''
|rev6score = B−<ref name="MS">{{cite news |last1=Teverbaugh |first1=Kim |title=Capsule Reviews |work=The Muncie Star |date=November 18, 1979 |page=B9}}</ref>
|rev7 = ''[Omaha World-Herald](/source/Omaha_World-Herald)''
|rev7score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="OW">{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Will |title=New Sounds |work=Omaha World-Herald |date=August 28, 1979 |page=16}}</ref>
|rev8 = ''[The New Rolling Stone Record Guide](/source/The_New_Rolling_Stone_Record_Guide)''
|rev8score = {{rating|1|5}}<ref>{{cite book |title=The New Rolling Stone Record Guide |date=1983 |publisher=Random House |page=460}}</ref>
}}
''[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)'' stated that "there are traces of the New Wave freneticism here, but once past the opening cut, 'Laugh and Walk Away', this outfit settles comfortably into a ballad groove."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Niester |first1=Alan |title=Street Light Shine The Shirts |work=The Globe and Mail |date=September 29, 1979 |page=F4}}</ref> The ''[Omaha World-Herald](/source/Omaha_World-Herald)'' noted the "distinctive, varied sound marked by a minimum of anger and negativism."<ref name=OW/> The ''[Spokane Daily Chronicle](/source/Spokane_Daily_Chronicle)'' said that the Shirts' style "is too nebulous, too undefined to be distinctive."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wetzel |first1=Carol |title=Discritique |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |date=September 7, 1979 |department=Focus |page=20}}</ref> ''[Hit Parader](/source/Hit_Parader)'' dismissed the Shirts as "quite possibly the worst band in New York City."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Spina |first1=James |title=Spin Addict |magazine=Hit Parader |date=February 1980 |issue=187 |page=15}}</ref>

''[The Gazette](/source/Montreal_Gazette)'' concluded that, "without losing a cutting edge, the sextet shows a penchant for hooks, unusual chord changes, and eminently commercial ditties".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rodriguez |first1=Juan |title='Street Light' shines |work=The Gazette |date=September 15, 1979 |page=89}}</ref> ''[The Pittsburgh Press](/source/The_Pittsburgh_Press)'' said that the band "deal in arty rock and deliver it in above-average performances."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pratt |first1=Chuck |title=Records |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=September 20, 1979 |page=D8}}</ref> ''[The Daily Breeze](/source/The_Daily_Breeze)'' called the album "a platter full of overly-sophisticated cabaret-style mish-mash".<ref name="DB">{{cite news |last1=Bensoua |first1=Joseph |title=On the record |work=The Daily Breeze |date=September 28, 1979 |pages=E9, E13}}</ref> [Robert Christgau](/source/Robert_Christgau) stated that the band's "sincerity can be infectious."<ref name=RC/> 

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| all_writing = 
| title1 = Laugh and Walk Away
| length1 = 
| title2 = Love Is a Fiction
| length2 =
| title3 = I'm in Love Again
| length3 = 
| title4 = Milton at the Savoy
| length4 = 
| title5 = Ground Zero
| length5 = 
| title6 = Triangulum
| length6 = 
| title7 = Out on the Ropes
| length7 = 
| title8 = Starts with a Handshake
| length8 = 
| title9 = Maybe, Maybe Not
| length9 = 
| title10 = I Feel So Nervous
| length10 = 
| title11 = Outside the Cathedral Door
| length11 = 
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

Category:1979 albums
Category:Capitol Records albums
Category:Albums produced by Mike Thorne

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Street Light Shine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Light_Shine) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Light_Shine?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.