Post-punk with punk tendencies kin of feels like the new genre as of late. There’s a ton of new bands dipping their toes into post-punk music, though one of the best of the newer of those would easily be Brixton’s shame. Aside from the fact that their live sets are a mix of heat induced and frenzied chaos, their debut full length Songs of Praise is easily one of the strongest releases of the year. Throughout the past eighteen months, the five gents that make up the group have appeared all over the globe, and their infectious and ergetic sounds seem to win over anyone who’s lucky enough to hear them.

Opening with the searing and driving notes of “Dust on Trial,” shame wastes no time in giving you two things you may not have associated with post-punk, hooks and melody. The band doesn’t go easy or into pop territory by any means, but the track is definitely one that sticks to your ribs. They continue this into the following songs “Concrete” and “One Rizla.”

In fact, it’s throughout the bulk of the record, where shame is reinventing what post-punk can be while noodling into the punk rock waters. The budding intensity of “The Lick,” the rampant energy of “Donk,” and the almost Wire-esque tones on “Friction” are simply masterful and hard to deny the power behind. The progressions on “Tasteless” and “Gold Hole” alone should make any fan of the genre pleased, while the band places their own spin on things, adding a bit of youth to a genre that hasn’t been youthful since it was conceived.

You can stream Songs of Praise on all streaming platforms, you can purchase it digitally from all digital retailers, or you can pick up physical copies from either Bandcamp or from Dead Oceans. shame is still on tour throughout 2018, tonight in Dublin at Tivoli Theatre until December 14 in Paris at Eysse Montmarte. A complete list of their tour dates can be accessed here. 

Image Credits: Photo by Matt Lief Anderson.