Lorna Irvine reviews an album from a band that 'have integrity and ideas as well as making pithy perfect pop which never outstays its welcome'.
Twelve bursts of energy.
Twelve statements of intent.
Twelve smart, sassy protests against everyday bugbears.
East London trio Shopping's second album is a little firecracker, scrutinising anti-capitalism ideology and the disposability of our modern culture. 'Wind Up' has an insistent riff by Rachel Aggs that's more frenetic than a bag of frogs, and 'Sinking Feeling' and 'Why Wait' tap into our quick-fix, must-have-now solutions. 'Why wait, when it's all on my doorstep? Why pay? When it's something for nothing,' Aggs chants, goading the generation who grew up expecting instant gratification. Andrew Milk's choppy, stop-start drumming and Billy Easter's angular basslines owe a lot to the danceable energy of ESG and The Slits, but with a modern sheen and very contemporary paranoia woven into the lyrics.
One of those bands who are rare, Shopping have integrity and ideas as well as making pithy perfect pop which never outstays its welcome. Most of their songs clock in at under three minutes, much like the post-punk bands of John Peel's early 80s sessions. It's music for cynical optimists, with all the contradictions that entails: those who are cautious, but still seeking a sliver of humanity. They say that their remit is to sing about 'rejection, frustration, fighting and fleeting relationships' but who also retain 'a kind of wildness and fun 'n' dash, liberated freak-out of a shopping spree that we really hope can people can identify with' in their fast, zippy tunes. Job done, I'd say.
Why Choose? is released on October 2nd on Fat Cat Records.
www.fat-cat.co.uk
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