Shocking White

Reptilize You

Written by: PP on 17/07/2015 23:21:12

Not sure exactly why, but the Pitchfork-approved noisy brand of post-punk has some serious traction within the Danish hipster rock realm, despite the style rarely offering anything worth listening to seriously rather than just as a fashion statement. Bands like Lower are frankly useless misunderstandings of the brilliant compositions by the likes of Sonic Youth and Joy Division, and Shocking White from Århus unfortunately fall into the same trap on their third album "Reptilize You".

Much like the other two fellow post-punk bands from Denmark, the approach is unmelodious at best, noisy and irritating at worst. Artsy hipster ideals are painted all across the soundscape alongside garage influences, but everything is delivered in hopeless off-tune instrumentation and wailed vocal work that needs some serious work before it can be taken seriously. It's not until the fourth track " Progressive Regression" before you notice a decent melody that actually has potential to stick to your mind, but even here the band ruin the song with a ridiculous off-tune noise ending towards the end of the track. You see, bands like The Chariot and Norma Jean have mastered the discordant delivery to near-perfection, where noise can actually be a good thing, but Shocking White's avant-garde take on the same simply doesn't do anything for their soundscape. Perhaps the best example of where it ultimately fails is on "The Blues Will Destroy You", which features vocal work worse than my cats when they once got caught in between the doorway. The guitar distortion is awful, and overall the song sounds like something off a rehearsal room recording by a bunch of dudes playing their instruments for the first time. No guys, this is not what 'punk' is about, at all, at least not for the past three decades or so.

The same theme continues throughout the ten-track record, making it a painful and ultimately pointless listen, even if post-punk is your favoured genre. Shocking White's music on the record is amateurish and simply not capable of competing with what other post-punk bands have to offer. Avoid.

3

Download: Progressive Regression
For the fans of: Lower, iceage, Pixies, Joy Division
Listen: Facebook

Release date 24.03.2015
Fat Phone Records

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