A New Year, A New Band: Shame

2018. 

A new year, a fresh start. A chance to shed the winter coat that you unwittingly piled on when you bought, and then consumed, those second and third tubs of Heroes and Quality Street over the festive season. 

It’s a chance to move more, eat less, make resolutions, quit things, start other things, fix stuff, throw things out, sweep up, sort, tidy and clean. 

Sounds exhausting doesn’t it? 

So how about something brand new to listen to while you reassess your life? Sounds good, right?

Here’s a new band for you. With a debut album. Unless you’re really quick on the draw, that means you are highly unlikely to have heard it before. 

They’re called Shame. 

But let’s not hold that against them. 

Shame are from Brixton, their debut album, rather brilliantly called “Songs of Praise” is out this week and there is much to enjoy. 

Overall this is loud, guitar-heavy and indie-punk in style. Not quite as angry as Idles, perhaps, but then who is? And as PG Wodehouse put it, even if Shame aren’t completely disgruntled, they are certainly far from being gruntled. 

But there’s subtlety also, variety, and some great tunes. 

“Angie” has an all-enveloping wash of sound that reminds me of The House Of Love, although it’s entirely possible they are not old enough to know who The House Of Love are. Songs like “Tasteless” and “Gold Hole” have a driving, Drenge-like quality to them, with tuned-down arpeggiated guitars. There’s some Joy Division in here too. The verse of “Friction” meanwhile feels vaguely like a fuzzier version Kinky Afro by The Happy Mondays but singer Charlie Steen belts out an authoritative delivery. 

It’s a heady brew, and despite my referencing some old bands, it all sounds fresh and exciting, and that’s enough of me trying to describe something that you can hear for yourself. 

At the top of the post is the video for new single “One Rizla”. And if you like that, then treat yourself to the climactic “Angie” which will give you a sense of what this band is capable of. 

Enjoy! If you like what you hear, there’s a nice coloured vinyl being sold at Rough Trade. 

And Happy New Year, by the way…whatever you end up doing, quitting, starting, fixing or playing.