Cutthroat

Near the start of Cutthroat, Shames Charlie Steen snarls, "Im afraid to stay the same." Thats not news to the bands fans: The relatively mellow introspection of 2023s underappreciated Food for Worms was as different from what theyd done before as Cutthroat is from its predecessor. Working with producer John Congleton, who brings an assertive presence to the groups fourth album, Shame begin Cutthroat by reminding listeners that first and foremost, theyre a rock band. The title track barges in with swaggering riffs and hedonistic excess ("Big, beautiful naked women fall out of the sky") that, along with the furious noise kicked up by "Screwdriver," couldnt be further from Worms contemplation. Several of Cutthroats best tracks recall the intensity of Songs of Praise and Drunk Tank Pink, albeit with more refinement. "Nothing Better"s revved-up call to action is a standout, as is "To and Fro." When a wild-eyed Steen demands, "I dont want much/Just give me everything youve got," its a quintessential Shame moment. However, Cutthroats softer songs let the groups thoughts on mortality, cowardice, and hypocrisy hit the hardest. "Ill only cast the first stone/If I know itll hit ya," Steen sings on "Spartak," a twangy indictment of social climbers that was inspired by Wilco but also echoes the Cribs, a band that shares Shames knack for balancing anthemic poses with indie defiance. Here and on "Quiet Life"s rockabilly-tinged desperation, Shame add some welcome searching to the records brashness. This searching extends to their hunt for new sounds on Cutthroat. Guitarist Sean Coyle-Smiths electronic experiments are woven through the album, ranging from details like the synth doodles that decorate "Plaster"s chugging heartache to radical revamps such as "Axis of Evil," which wraps its cynicism and disgust in an indie sleaze sheen that has more in common with the Dare than any of Shames previous music, or "After Party," a bewildering fusion of dance-punk chaos and sugary synth pop. They go even farther afield with "Lampiao," a hypnotic folk song inspired by a famous Brazilian bandit. Its one of the most intriguing tracks here, but like the meditative noise rock of "Packshot," it feels like its from a completely different album. While Cutthroat may be a bit disjointed, its not because Shame are indecisive. They continue to push and invent, even when it might be safer not to. Sometimes the results are thrilling, sometimes theyre frustrating, but theyre never cowardly. ~ Heather Phares

フリーキーかつスリリングなツイン・ギターを軸にポスト・パンク・サウンドに磨きを掛けつつ、このサウス・ロンドンの5人組はそれだけじゃ満足できなかったようだ。新境地を求める気持ちがロカビリーの"Quiet Life"、ウィルコを意識したというメロディアスな"Spartak"に結実。ポルトガル語で歌う"Lampiao"ではかの地のリズムも交えてブラジルの義賊を称えてみせる。
bounce (C)山口智男