Shapes – ‘Monotony Chic’ [Review]
Deep in my iTunes library sits a humble two-track EP by a long-dead band called Strobe 45. That band, when it was around, was completely insane. It was common for their detractors to dismiss them as either being unable to play or sounding so bad that it made no difference – but the truth was, Strobe just didn’t give a fuck. That singular quality made them a quality band. Once you were accustomed to their raw-as-a-Dirty-Sanchez-episode noise, tiny sparks of genius made themselves permanently known, enabling you to listen to something most would deem unlistenable not just out of some misguided musical masochism but rather out of genuine, ecstatic appreciation.
Since that EP, however, very few bands have come close to matching that experience. But on Monotony Chic, Shapes do. This album is ten tracks of rusty math-rock within which zero fucks are given, and nothing is held back. Grittier than a gravel driveway and more complex than a book on quantum mechanics, all you can do is sit back and wonder at just how rare this kind of experience is. Throughout Monotony Chic, Shapes are terrifyingly and thrillingly on it. What comes next?
Links
Shapes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weareshapes
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