Shame formed three years ago in a practice space at the Queen's Head in Brixton. With three months of spare time ahead after completing their AS levels, starting a band seemed the best thing to set their minds to. Since their incarnation Shame have toured relentlessly with heavy weights like Fat White Family and Warpaint gaining a massive live following and earning themselves some well deserved hype at the same time. 'Songs of Praise' is the punk band's debut release through American indie label Dead Oceans.
The album opens with the dark and brooding track 'Dust on Trial'. Vocalist Charlie Steen performs with a grit and attitude that sets the album up perfectly. Second track 'Concrete' is a fast and powerful tear through trapped relationships and self doubt. The call and response vocals in the verses grow with intensity as the song progresses to the catchiest of choruses. The lead single 'One Rizla' is a fantastic take on embracing insecurities, and is also one of the most melodic cuts on the record. The guitar riffs, combined with heavy grooves and charmingly sloppy vocals come together to create one of the best tunes released in 2017. 'The Lick' is a brooding stomper of spoken word lyricism and sludging bass lines whilst 'Tasteless' and 'Donk' crank up the speed and intensity once more.
Shame's brilliant use of dynamics is brought to the table on slow builder 'Gold Hole'. The final chorus erupts triumphantly with Steen's vocals at their most passionate. Towards the end of the record it feels as if there could be a little more variation when it comes to the instrumentation and overall performance. 'Friction' and 'Lampoon' generally feel a little monotonous. All this is forgotten though as the final track 'Angie' is a closer of epic proportions. Clocking in at just under seven minutes, the track builds and drops throughout before transforming into a brash wall of beautiful noise.
'Songs of Praise' is an exceptional debut from a young band with a glowing future. The album itself was recorded in a mere ten days and with a total run time of thirty-eight minutes, the record is concise and to the point. The mainstream music world may not want them but Shame are the guitar band Britain needs.
8/10
Best track - One Rizla
Worst track - Friction
Listen to 'One Rizla' here.
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