Nik Havert

Review: Eve Maret – Diamond Cutter

Eve Maret‘s Diamond Cutter album is a neat blend of electro, house, Italo disco, orchestral, motorik, and probably a couple other genres (Dub? Pyschedelic?) I’m missing.

“Hit U with a Banger” is indeed a banger and combines bumping disco thumps with Mort Garson-like synths. “I Love You Babe” would fit onto any Italo disco compilation of tracks from the early 1980s. Maret’s simple title vocals are looped over and over as groovy bass mixes with sweaty synths. “Break the Chain” is a full-on electro trip, as if Sleigh Bells went weirder instead of louder. “There’s nothing to grasp, just change. Nothing to touch. Rearrange,” she sings / purrs. It’s a Zen lesson hidden in a lava lamp’s flow.

The echoing drums of “Gethsemani” add trip hop (There’s a genre I forgot.) to Diamond Cutter‘s sound as Maret sings about how our perceptions shape our reality. The synths on “Shield” sound a bit like a distant alarm clock while the beats dance along a sidewalk outside an industrial nightclub (Another genre!). Ending with poppy, groovy “Home,” Diamond Cutter calls for the delights of “a place where I can rest my bones” with Maret’s “chosen family.” It’s a dream for a place one can prepare “a meal with five courses” and live one’s life as “a red hot vixen.” We all want the same thing. I recently heard the phrase, “Some people is so poor, all they got is money.” This dream is the opposite of that. It’s the better one.

The rest of the album consists of instrumental versions of all the tracks, showcasing Maret’s skill at layering all these sexy, trippy, and groovy sounds. It’s a whole bonus album for all of us.

The album’s title refers to a Buddhist sutra that focuses on emptiness of the mind and burdens within us, and how one sees clearly through that emptiness (and that’s a massively simple explanation). Maret has said that she made the album to be as pure an expression of herself as she could get in that moment. She cuts through the chatter and focuses on her art. We could all learn from that.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to George at Terrorbird Media.]

Review: American Sharks – Not Dead Yet

Austin, Texas’ American Sharks have returned after a five-year hiatus with a new rocker of an album titled Not Dead Yet for all of you out there figuring they were finished.

The opening title track takes off like someone stomping the gas pedal of a muscle car outfitted with flame throwers and machine guns. “Flowers for the Dead” (featuring a guitar solo by David Sullivan of Red Fang) has the flame throwers on that car burning down everything along a funeral procession while a dog growls and barks as they pass and toss an empty beer can at it. “Goodbye, my love, goodbye,” Roky Moon sings, preferring to send his dearly departed out on a high note.

“I saw a demon on my left. I saw a lizard on my right,” Moon says in the beginning of the absolutely slamming “Going Insane,” letting us know about weird visions he’s having both in and out of sleep while Aaron Echegaray goes bonkers on lead guitar. “Fuzz War” is suitably fuzzy for its title. “I need blood, I need something real,” Moon sings on “Give Me Blood.” His vocals become echoed and distorted as he tries to find anything concrete in the illusions in which he’s living.

“Bang Yer Head” (with solo Mike Derks of GWAR) is a fun classic metal track that you can imagine was a blast for them to record. Nick Cornetti goes wild with his snare hits, sounding like he went through several of them while playing it. Zach Blair of Rise Against stops in for his own guitar solo duty on “The Machine,” which almost reaches hair metal territory, and The Sword‘s “Kyle Schutt” unleashes a solo of his own on “Sunny Sunday,” an upbeat track with sad lyrics (“It ain’t been the same since you were last around…I’ll be sittin’ here waiting for you.”).

The album ends with “They Want Peace” featuring Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol‘s Leo Lydon not only contributing another guest guitar solo but also backing vocals. “Hey, man. I need water. Could you spare a little please?”, Lydon asks. They’re looking for compassion in a world that’s lacking it. It can also be allusion to the Southwest’s growing and dire water shortage issue.

The world’s not dead yet, and American Sharks are trying to tell us that we can do something about it. We don’t need to just roll over and die. We can keep banging our heads and rocking out and watching out for each other. Someone you know needs a boost. Crank this and wake them up.

Keep your mind open.

[I might go insane if you don’t subscribe.]

[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]

Review: The Darts – Halloween Love Songs

The Darts’ frontwoman / keyboardist Nicole Laurenne noted back in 2024 that there weren’t a lot of good, modern Halloween-themed songs, let alone albums. You get “Monster Mash” and a handful of others that get dragged out of their tombs every year, but nothing new has come along in decades. So, she and her bandmates (Rebecca Davidson – guitar, Lindsay Scarey – bass, Rikki Styxx – drums) set out to fill that void and created Halloween Love Songs.

The first side of the album consists of tracks that Laurenne describes as “full of colorful, early-evening energy, the kind of songs you could blast while the neighborhood lights are flicking on.” “Midnight Creep” simultaneously is a fun rock tune, a new dance craze, and a spooky stomper with sizzling keyboard work from Laurenne and a fun solo by Davidson. “Zombies on the Metro” is about both the living dead consuming flesh and the living consumed by the daily grind (“The nine-to-five will steal your soul.”).

Styxx’s beats on “Blood Runs Cold” move from psychobilly to punk to almost jazz at one point. “Vampires in Love” is another fun one destined for your goth romance playlists. Scarey’s bass is a sinister snarl on “Dream Ghost.” “Every Night Is Halloween” is a fun way to end Side A with its promise of the holiday lasting as long as you want.

Side B (“…the soundtrack for after dark, when the bonfire is raging.”) starts with the appropriately fiery “Apocalypse” – a song inspired by the Apocalypse Tapestry in Angers, France. “The Devil Made Me Do It” might be your new favorite makeout / rock out song. “Darkness” gets a bit heaver, and “Up in My Soul” gets way funkier, bringing in surf elements and some of Styxx’s wickedest beats on the record.

“Haunt Me” is the song you’ll want to play after everyone but your lover has left the party and the candles are still lit (in a magic circle or pentacle being optional). “Shadow” has great vocals throughout it, not only from Laurenne but also the rest of the band singing with her. The closer, “Late Drive,” sends us out with a cruise across the desert and all the weird things one sees and imagines on such a trip.

It’s a cool record and The Darts not only understood the mission (“Let’s make a cool new Halloween record.”), they nailed it.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Chad at No Rules PR.]

Review: 9 Hours Ahead – Smooth Sailing EP

I’m guessing 9 Hours Ahead got their name from the time difference between the two members – Breeze in Amsterdam and Namastrange in San Francisco. Together, they put together their Smooth Sailing EP and, despite the time difference, created one of the best house music records of 2026 so far.

The title track uses seagull cries, looped hand percussion beats, and undeniably catchy beats to get you moving. The breakdown and comeback in the middle of the track is so slick you might fall off your boat and into the ocean from it.

“Meridian Space” bumps and thumps with thick bass drum hits and then the even thicker synth bass drops in so thick you could spread it on your pancakes. “Transatlantic Dreams” is probably another reference to the time and space gap between the two DJ pals, and it’s a killer cut suitable for dancing, action sequences, and HIIT workouts. I love the old school synth blasts in it.

The EP ends with the Bliss Inc. remix of “Meridian Space” that makes the beats snappier and the bass a bit menacing while adding what sound like alien transmissions to the track.

Add this to a few of your playlists. You’ll dig it.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Harbour Music Society.]

Interview: Carbon Decoy

In case you’re not aware, Caron Decoy is an excellent doom / psych-rock band out of Detroit, Michigan whose newest album, Crush the Sun, explores mythological themes while unloading cosmic, colossal riffs. The trio of Jared Jordan (bass), Earl Mudd (guitar), and Casey Rowe (drums and vocals) were kind enough to participate in a short interview with me about their influences, other Detroit bands, and interests outside of music.

7th Level Music: I’m intrigued by your band’s name. Why the play on carbon decay, changing it to decoy?

Carbon Decoy: Honestly, it was just two words that we thought sounded cool when put together. We definitely were thinking of atomic structure and matter using the word carbon (evident with our first single “Atomic #6“), but there wasn’t much else that went into the name.

7LM: Greek mythology themes are prominent on Crush the Sun, with the story of Icarus and the characters of the Sirens being in the forefront on those tracks. Has mythology always been a favorite subject or inspiration, or did all of you gravitate toward it on this record for a particular reason?

CD: Mythology is definitely something that we all have a strong interest in and a subject we likely will continue to draw inspiration from.

7LM: Some riffs on Crush the Sun reminded me of heavy southern rock, and the opening riff on “Forest of Lies” has a great blues sound to it. Are some of those 1970s bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, and Mountain or Delta blues artists influences on all of you?

CD: We are all very influenced by the bands from the 70s. Mountain is a huge inspiration for the entire band. Creedence Clearwater Revival is another. The Delta Blues are at the core of many of our songs and a lot of Earl’s guitar work.

7LM: That being said, are there any influences you all have that some of your fans might find surprising?

CD: A lot of folks might be surprised to find out how influenced the entire band is by classic/outlaw country music. Honestly though, you never know what we are listening to when we’re cruisin’ in Casey’s Safari. Willie Nelson, Herb Alpert + The Tijuana Brass, Electric Wizard, Wu-Tang Clan, CCR. It’s like a box of chocolates in there.

7LM: While we’re on the subject of bands and other musicians, are there any other Detroit scene bands you all love and think more people need to hear?

CD: Detroit is thriving and busting at the seams with great music. We could go on and on and undoubtedly will forget someone, but just a few of our favorites include Glass Chimera, Cherry Drop, Sonic Smut, MRKT, Eck!, The Cult of Spaceskull, The Velvet Snakes, Dunamis, Winds of Neptune, Duende! and so many more.

7LM: Do you have any tour plans soon, or festivals you hope to make it to in 2026?

CD: We are taking it pretty easy in 2026. Jared added a new baby to his family this year. We have a short Midwest tour planned for the fall, and will likely add a few one-off dates through the summer.

7LM: I always like to wrap up with this story and question: I once heard an interview with Ray Charles, and in it he said he sometimes got a bit depressed because most people only wanted to talk to him about music. So, outside of music, are there other things you’re all fascinated with, or interested in, or just enjoy?

CD: Earl is an incredibly talented photographer and has a passion for film. Jared has a small farm and loves working cattle and gardening. Casey is an extremely skilled builder and loves working with his hands.

All thanks to Carbon Decoy and Ksu at Discipline PR!

Keep your mind open.

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Francis of Delirium remind us “It’s a Beautiful Life” with her new single.

Francis of Delirium—the project of Luxembourg-based musician Jana Bahrich—announces her second album, Run, Run Pure Beauty, out May 29th via Dalliance Recordings, and releases the single/video, “It’s a Beautiful Life.” The epitome of a modern artist, Jana does most things herself, no matter how painstaking—writing, producing, directing, often handpainting t-shirts the day of shows when the band have run out of merch. This has given her band, Francis of Delirium, a unique identity, with her rock confessionals breathing a new life into the genre and her paintings creating a striking design aesthetic.

Francis of Delirium released their first single, “Quit F**king Around,” in 2020 as Jana was finishing high school. Shortly after its release, she signed to Dalliance Recordings and proceeded to release three EPs: All Change (2020), Wading (2021), and The Funhouse (2022). While the EPs fizzed with promise, the debut Francis of Delirium album, Lighthouse (2024), landed its punches. Seeking a more vulnerable and open sonic palette, Jana wove in pop elements to create anthems that celebrated heartbreak and love. Paste praised the album as “a rewarding experience that captures a talented, young artist at the crossroads between adolescence and adulthood,” and NME raved, “Bahrich’s choruses, almost every one, are lump-in-your-throat gorgeous.”

Produced by Jana and long time collaborator Chris Hewett, and mixed by Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors, Silver Jews), Run, Run Pure Beauty continues in this vein, notably on the previously released, “Little Black Dress,” and today’s new single, “It’s a Beautiful Life.” The song immediately hits with an undeniable chorus and euphoric guitars. Lyrically, Jana is searching for beauty within, basing the song on vignettes snatched from moments away: “A coffee I had with a pianist who was about to play a Philip Glass piece at the Philharmonie in Berlin, watching a couple break up on a New York City park bench, walking past a choir rehearsing in a basement, and examining a loneliness that feels ingrained into daily life,” Jana says. “I’m not denying pain but trying to find the beauty alongside it.”

The song’s must-watch video, directed by Kiyan Agadjani, captures the eternal teen movie summer with aplomb. Of Agadjani, Jana says, “He sent me his short film Arman & Elisa and I was incredibly impressed. A year later, I went to him with an idea about gay basketball and he was in. We started referencing movies like Little Miss Sunshine, Space Jam and Juno and wrote a treatment about a rag tag team called ‘The Rats’ going up against a professional team, ‘The Giants’. The video ended up being about perseverance and connection, both on and off screen. We cast a lot of our friends, musicians, artists and filmmakers from Luxembourg and I’m still not totally sure how it happened, but it took us eight months to finish.”

Watch the Video for “It’s a Beautiful Life”

Live, Francis of Delirium are Jana (guitar and vocals), Jeff Hennico (bass), and Denis Schumacher (drums). Together, their brilliant quiet-loud dynamic and tight interplay elevate Jana’s songs. Over the last five years, they’ve headlined shows, played festivals, and toured across Europe and North America with the likes of Blondshell, The Districts, Horsegirl, Briston Maroney, Soccer Mommy, and Bôa, who they will support in Europe this spring.

Run, Run Pure Beauty is an excavation of hope in bleak times; its songs of discovery, despair, and perseverance ultimately serve as a mirror on its creator and is a brilliant next installment in the Francis of Delirium arc.

Pre-Order Run, Run Pure Beauty

Watch the Video for “Little Black Dress”

Francis of Delirium Tour Dates
Sat. April 18 – Paris, FR @ Élysée Montmartre *
Mon. April 20 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso *
Tue. April 21 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich *
Thu. April 23 – Ursus, PL @ Klub Progresja *
Fri. April 24 – Poznań, PL @ TAMA *
Sun. April 26 – Köln, DE @ Bürgerhaus Stollwerck *

* supporting Bôa

Keep your mind open.

[It’s a beautiful life when you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Jessica at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Killing Joke – Extremities: The Albini Demos and Live Beginnings ’88

It’s barely spring and we already have one of the best reissues of the year – Killing Joke‘s Extremities: The Albini Demos and Live Beginnings ’88.

Way back in the mid-1980s, guitarist Geordie Walker and drummer Martin Atkins linked up with legendary producer Steve Albini in his Chicago studio and there recorded mixes and demos for what became known as the “Black Cassette” and would end up in different variations on KJ’s 1990 album Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions.

Beginning with the demo version of “Money,” (later known as “Money Is Not Our God”) the heavy, fuzzy bass from Paul Raven hits you right away while Walker’s guitars sound like pirate transmissions from a hidden kingdom under the earth. The “Unreleased” demo has a wicked drum beat and guitar riffs that would later inspire scores of shoegaze bands. “Scrape / North of the Border” (The “Scrape” title was later dropped for the album release.) gets you moving with his wonky guitar sounds and undeniably great beat. The “Reflex mix” of “Money” rounds out Side A of the album, turning the song into a warped, wild version and clearly showing how much KJ influenced Nirvana.

Side B is a rare recording of a secret show from Birmingham, England on December 20, 1988 that happened to be Atkins’ first live gig with the band, and it also includes tracks that would appear on Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions two years later. Jaz Coleman‘s vocals and keyboards are bonkers right out of the gate on “Extremities,” installing panic and power into the crowd. Walker’s squealing, seemingly melted, feedback-heavy guitar only adds to the chaos.

“The Fanatic” somehow sounds both distant and in-your-face at the same time. Coleman sometimes mutters and sometimes roars. Walker steps back and then charges forward. Atkins and Raven click together and keep it from becoming too frantic, but just barely managing it. “Wake up!” yells Coleman after introducing “Intravenous.” How anyone could have been sleepy-eyed during this show is beyond me, because KJ were shaking the entire venue by this point. “Intravenous” only gives you a couple moments to catch your breath during its pounding drums, high-pitched guitar feedback moments, and rolling dam waters bass.

“You see, we’re the laughingstocks…” Coleman says as the last track, “Beautiful Dead,” begins with his spooky synths and voice before his bandmates pummel the audience (and us over thirty years later) with pure force. There’s a neat moment when it almost sounds like Coleman is playing his own song on his synthesizers while Walker, Raven, and Atkins are doing their own thing and it still works quite well. The funky groove of the song during the verses is also a neat switch-up around the blast furnace choruses.

Killing Joke proved through songs like these, and many albums still to come, that they weren’t laughingstocks. They were in on the joke, knew the joke, and exposed the joke. These recordings are a great find for fans of not only them, but also post-punk and industrial music.

Keep your mind open.

[The joke’s on you if you don’t subscribe.]

[Thanks to Dan from Discipline PR.]

Jesca Hoop stirs up a “Big Storm” with her new single.

One month from today, Jesca Hoop will release her new LP Long Wave Home. The seventh solo album from the California-born, Manchester-based songwriter took shape amidst a period of both personal and geopolitical upheaval: a web of schisms that seemed to reflect one another as they unfolded. It is the first album Hoop produced by herself, and it marks both a fresh start and a deepening of her extensive, multifaceted discography.

In the past, Hoop had worked with a roster of seasoned, brilliant producers: John Parish (PJ Harvey, Tracy Chapman); Tony Berg (Taylor Swift, boygenius); and Blake Mills, (Fiona Apple, Alabama Shakes). Hoop learned from all of these partnerships. As she embarked on her seventh album, she was ready to apply that knowledge from the cockpit.

Hoop recorded Long Wave Home in studios around the United Kingdom. She asked her collaborator Jesse D. Vernon to arrange accompaniments for her songs, then set out in a camper van to meet session musicians and begin tracking. Her travels took her to The Shed in London, Empire Sound on the Isle of Wight, and J&J Studios in Bristol. Throughout the process, she worked closely with engineers Tim Thomas (Bright Eyes, British Sea Power) and Leo Abrahams (Belle & Sebastian, Frightened Rabbit) to foster the sound she envisioned for the album. Under her careful hand, a populous, dynamic sound emerged.

So far Hoop has released two singles from her new LP, “Caravan” and “Designer Citizen.” Today Hoop is announcing a new run of tour dates and sharing a third single from the record, a track called “Big Storm.”

Hoop says of the track:

“There was a moment, many years ago, when I was ready to ditch everything—everyone I knew and everything I was doing. I gave away all my possessions, keeping only the essentials. I sold my car. I bought a plane ticket. The plan was to leave without notice. Then the biggest storm in recent history blew my getaway plan to bits. It grounded all planes and halted travel. I was forced to face my life. Myself.

The storm taught me there is no cheat code for life—no easy way out. At the same time, my life—my happiness—is my responsibility. Mine and only mine.”

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe!]

[Thanks to Tom at Terrorbird Media.]

Lambrini Girls punch rich elitists in the gut with “Cult of Celebrity.”

Brighton’s own Lambrini Girls, the explosive duo of Phoebe Lunny (vocals/guitar) and Selin Macieira (bass), share their new single ‘Cult of Celebrity’. From its opening guitar lick, the duo’s new song is a relentless, thrashing indictment of the dark underbelly and backdoor dealings of the world’s global elites that has been exposed in recent years.

On the new track the band say: “The age old tale, of selling your soul to the devil has been fabled accounts of high society for years. However due to recent events come to light- it turns out that the elite are very much actually, the devil incarnate, baby eating, pedos. What a fucking surprise! They had no souls to sell in the first place.”

‘The old world is dying and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters’ Antonio Gramsci (courtesy of Lambrini Girls)

The single is also accompanied by a music video directed by London-based filmmaker and director Harv Frost (The Last Dinner Party, Laufey).

Watch / Listen to ‘Cult of Celebrity’ HERE

Tour Dates

Sun 05 Apr 26 – Paaspop, Schijndel – Netherlands

Sat 11 Apr 26 – Coachella Valley, Indigo CA – United States

Sat 18 Apr 26 – Coachella Valley, Indigo CA – United States

Tue 21 Apr 26 – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta GA – United States

Wed 22 Apr 26 – The Orange Peel, Asheville NC – United States

Fri 24 Apr – 26 Warsaw, Brooklyn NY – United States SOLD OUT

Sun 26 Apr 26 – Paradise Rock Club, Boston MA – United States SOLD OUT

Mon 27 Apr 26 – Théâtre Beanfield, Montreal QC – Canada

Tue 28 Apr 26 – The Concert Hall, Toronto ON – Canada

Thu 30 Apr 26 – Metro, Chicago IL- United States SOLD OUT

Fri 01 May 26 Majestic Theatre, Detroit MI – United States

Sat 02 May 26 – The Vogue, Indianapolis IN – United States

Mon 04 May 26 – Delmar Hall, St. Louis MO – United States

Tue 05 May 26 – The Granada Theater, Lawrence KS – United States

Thu 21 May 26 – Bearded Theory, Derbyshire – United Kingdom

Sat 23 May 26 – Dot to Dot, Bristol – United Kingdom

Sun 24 May 26 – Dot to Dot, Nottingham – United Kingdom

Sat 06 Jun 26 – Primavera Sound, Barcelona – Spain

Fri 12 Jun 26 – Bonnaroo, Manchester TN) – United States

Sun 14 Jun 26 – Warped Tour, Washington DC- United States

Thu 25 Jun 26 – Patrick Henry Village, Heidelberg – Germany

Fri 26 Jun 26 – Vainstream Rockfest, Munster – Germany

Thu 09 Jul 26 – Musilac, Aix-Les Bains – France

Fri 10 Jul 26 – 2000trees Festival – Gloucestershire – United Kingdom

Mon 13 Jul 26 – Les Nuits De Fourviere, Lyon – France

Fri 17 Jul 26 – Malakoff Rock Festival, Nordfjordeid – Norway

Sat 18 Jul 26 – Bukta, Tromso – Norway – Norway

Fri 31 Jul 26 – All Together Now, Waterford – Ireland

Fri 07 Aug 26 – Boardmasters, Newquay – United Kingdom

Tue 11 Aug 26 – Sziget Festival, Budapest – Hungary

Thu 13 Aug 26 – Oya Festival, Oslo – Norway

Fri 14 Aug 26 – Way Out West, Gothenburg – Sweden

Sun 16 Aug 26 – Flow Festival – Helsinki – Finland

Fri 21 Aug 26 – Pukkelpop, Hasselt – Belgium

Sat 29 Aug 26 – Rock en Seine, Paris – France

Tickets available HERE

Keep your mind open.

[Join the 7th Level Music cult by subscribing today.]

[Thanks to Amy at After Hours PR.]

Review: The Shits – Diet of Worms

Looking at that album cover, you might think at first glance that you were in for a folk record, or maybe a “goth country” album, but then you notice the title is Diet of Worms (possibly after the assembly in which Martin Luther was told to recant his writings and views or be labeled as a heretic – spoiler alert from the 16th century: He didn’t.) and the band’s name is The Shits and now you’re even more intrigued.

Then the opening dissonance of the first track, “In a Hell,” arrives and you’re locked in because you want to hear where this is going. The snarling vocals arrive while drums, bass, and guitars circle around you like angry hounds and you’re thinking, “Okay, let’s do this.” This goes on for over seven minutes and ratchets up the power for the whole album. You look at the album cover again and begin to think something bad has happened (or is still happening) in that house / barn…and, by the way, is the whole area on fire?

The Shits seem to believe the whole world is on fire, judging by the rumbling rage in every track. The guitars on “Tarrare” almost sound like the repetitive ramblings of a madman. “Then You’re Dead” sounds like a Stooges B-side covered in ashes and played on a turntable with a vulture perched next to it and using its beak for the needle. The bass line and drums hits on it are relentless.

Speaking of bass, the bass notes on “Change My Ways” are thick as tar. I think the song is about being pressured to change from every angle of society in this modern world: Eat this, do this workout, sleep in this position, take this supplement, listen to these podcasts, read this book, invest your money with me! It never ends unless you change another thing – the desire to change at all. Could The Shits be hiding a Zen lesson in the distortion and shouts?

There could be another one hidden in “Joyless Satisfaction.” The title alone could allude to the emptiness that often accompanies materialism and attachment. We buy and buy and buy and so often have remorse afterwards. The thrill of the purchase is soon replaced by the dread of having yet another thing to move, dust, or take up space. The same goes for doom-scrolling, influencer idolizing, and so many other things that take up our mind-space. The track’s guitar riffs are all jagged and rusty and likely to harm you if you’re not careful.

The title track is a gritty, nervous, writhing thing with an abrupt ending that catches you off-guard. “Thank You for Being a Friend” has a groove that, believe it or not, reminds me of Thin Lizzy. It’s not a cover of the Golden Girls theme song (which would be amazing), but I think is about both true and false friends, and how sometimes it’s difficult to figure out which is which. The album ends with the menacing “Three O’Clock in the Morning.” It feels like the sensation of stumbling home after a drunken brawl in a Waffle House parking lot, or the dread of waking up for another early shift, or coming back from one that ran late, or the lonely dread that sometimes creeps in when you wake up for no apparent reason. It yells and spits at you, creeps around you, pulls at you, and generally unnerves you.

The whole album does. That’s what it’s supposed to do, and why The Shits made it. It’s as unsettling as the album cover or being handed a bowl of worms to eat. It’s meant to shake you up and shake you out of the trap you don’t even know is around you.

One final note: You can’t be a band called “The Shits” and not be a solid, damn good band. It just wouldn’t work. You’d be written off as a joke band.

The Shits are no joke.

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll have joyful satisfaction if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Dan at Discipline PR.]