Anyone who fell in love with Shame's debut album "Songs of Praise", released in January 2018, will be delighted to hear that their second album "Drunk Tank Pink" is due for release in January 2021. The second single "Water In the Well" from the album arrived this week.
Frontman Charlie Steen has admitted that, as a lot of bands have experienced, lockdown after years on the road touring, proved to be a difficult adjustment. If "Water in the Well" is anything to go by, fans are not going to be disappointed of the impact of this on Shame's music. This is tight punk - not a genre, just a couple of adjectives! An opening drum roll, Charlie's vocals and then straight into three minutes of classic Shame.
The energy is fast and slower, the volume loud and quieter, the tone moves up and down. The background's shouty vocals are brilliant, adding a funky element to this track.
Is it really only 3 minutes long? How are bands able to create such variety and density in one song. The lyrics refer to the loss of identity, which we are all susceptible to, not just members of a band who are constantly touring. And never truer than now: "We all got lost somehow, I tried to find myself but I lost the map and now I'm all burnt out."
With the announcement of a whole bunch of UK socially distanced tour dates at the beginning of next year, it looks like Shame are going to be one of the bands to help us get 2021 off on the right foot.....even if it does mean chair dancing for now.
Check out the video for "Water in the Well" here: