If you’ve grown tired of this era’s so-called producer culture – resulting in albums abundant with intricately stacked instrumentation and lush, nebulous atmosphere – you’ll find relief in London, England, post-punk trio Shopping. Their second record sits in extreme opposition to that: the 12 brief songs are sonically thin, harsh, primitive. Their imperfections blare through your speakers, as do the clanging discofied hi-hats, nervy guitar lines and jagged, boy/girl shouted vocals.
And yet it satisfies in a way similar to seeing the final pages of your fanzine come spitting through a photocopier. Shopping have something to say – their name nods to rampant consumerism, and drummer Andrew Milk has said he sings about fancying men, while Rachel Aggs, whose voice brings Ari Up to mind, sings about fancying women – and they say it with charm and zeal. By the album’s end, you want to see them live. Luckily, they’re on their first North American tour.
Top track: Straight Lines
Shopping open for Shannon & the Clams at the Horseshoe on Thursday (October 22).
