SHOPPING: ALL OR NOTHING ALBUM REVIEW

‘All Or Nothing’ is a fitting title for Shopping’s fourth album as the disco-punk queer-underground trio turn up the kinetic urgent energy they’ve been cultivating so far up to maximum speed. ESG-like bass lines, spiky guitars, and call-to-action vocals have always been part of Shopping’s sound, but on their latest the sonic palette is widened on tracks like ‘Follow Me’, ‘Lies’, and ‘For Your Pleasure’ to include synth pads and simple electronics. The latter track and its club-based music video suggests a nod closer towards the dance floor than their previous efforts, and it suits them.

Image Credit: Ian Viggars

The three separate band members’ vocals intertwine to great effect in ‘No Apologies’, and ‘Follow Me’ is a wry take on city life paranoia and being watched by CCTV cameras. For me, everything that’s great about Shopping comes together on ‘Initiative’, a spiky, catchy, and danceable track with a chorus that urgently asks: “Why don’t you show some initiative?”

The band has gone on record as saying: “A lot has happened in our personal lives since we last recorded,” which could account for the title and the even-higher-than-normal energy they give on this record. By track nine, ‘Body Clock’, multi-band leading maven Rachel Aggs sings: “I’ve just got to keep up the pace” as if she can barely match her own, or her band’s, relentless speed and creativity. With consistently great releases in no less than two other bands, Sacred Paws and Trash Kit, there’s no doubt Rachel can keep the energy going for years to come.