Shame - Songs Of Praise - Limited Edition Tri-Colour Striped Vinyl - Love Record Stores 2021 Edition

Shame thrive on confrontation. Whether it be the seething intensity crackling throughout debut album Songs Of Praise or the adrenaline-pumping chaos that unfolds at Shame’s shows, it’s all fuelled by feeling. NPR’s Bob Boilen noted, “Of the 70 bands I saw at this year’s SXSW, the band Shame seemed to mean what they played more than any other.”

Comprised of vocalist Charlie Steen, guitarists Sean Coyle-Smith and Eddie Green, bassist John Finerty and drummer Charlie Forbes, the London-based five-piece began as school boys. From the outset, Shame built the band up from a foundation of DIY ethos while citing The Fall and Wire among their biggest musical influences.

Utilizing both the grit and sincerity of that musical background, Shame carved out a niche in the South London music scene and then barrelled fearlessly into the angular, thrashing post punk that would go on to make up ‘Songs Of Praise’, their Dead Oceans debut. From ‘Gold Hole’, a tongue-in-cheek takedown of rock narcissism, to lead track ‘Concrete’ detailing the overwhelming moment of realizing a relationship is doomed, to the frustrated ‘Tasteless’ taking aim at the monotony of people droning through their day-to-day, ‘Songs Of Praise’ never pauses to catch its breath.

Soaring, crashing guitars, heavy heavy monster drums pounding and circling, spirals of sound lifting into the stratosphere with the call and response of many voices travelling from an ominous rumble to a scream let loose. These boys are alchemists and they’ve turned the quicksilver live show fraught with emotion and passion into audio gold for their debut.

Tracklisting:

SIDE A

1. Dust On Trial
2. Concrete
3. One Rizla
4. The Lick
5. Tasteless

SIDE B

1. Donk
2. Gold Hole
3. Friction
4. Lampoon
5. Angie