This is a review of "Protein Shake" recorded by The Experts. The review was written by Joel Goldman in 2006.

As the stereo gobbles up its latest shiny donut of musical nourishment, I have to stop it mid-bite to check I’ve put the right CD in - the resemblance of Protein Shake’s opening riff to the chorus of ‘Fire’ by the Jimi Hendrix Experience is uncanny. It’s so close that Jimi himself would probably consider it worth making the greatest of all comebacks just to file the lawsuit.

He’d probably stop short in his tracks though and just have to get down to what is undeniably a great tune. If Franz Ferdinand had been hanging with Jimi during the free-love funfest that was the swinging sixties, this song would have resulted from their affair. It’s a high tempo foot tapper bursting with energy and a satisfyingly meaty bass sound. It’s so good in fact, that I listen to it again straight away before excitedly moving on to the next tasty morsel.

‘Pressing Buttons’, like all good main courses, is more subtle in its flavour and worth taking time over to digest fully. It’s a darker track, with dreamy guitars and a beat which ticks over like clockwork. Pete Hiley’s vocals roll on impressively in the same way as the classic ‘Windmills of your mind’ by Michael Legrand. One line crops up over and over: ‘If the future is a circle then you are just bound to repeat… the past’ fits perfectly into the song as it trundles on into a winding, atmospheric solo.

There’s always room for dessert, and ‘Hide ‘N’ Seek’ is just right with another John Bonham/Mitch Mitchell style beat and juicy bass holding things down. Descending chords lead into the verse before rising out into the chorus with a high pitch vocal. More great guitar and a marching beat lead into the final chorus, bringing an end to what is an all round tasty treat.