There was a time when every indie boy and girl would worship at the altar of post punk angularity before heading off to the arthouse cinema to watch something with subtitles. In Edinburgh, such behaviour is, of course, still socially acceptable and Shinlifter duly provide an appropriate soundtrack to this deviant behaviour with their “Other Conspiracies “EP.
And angular these three songs most certainly are. Everything is jagged guitars, pounding drums and vocals that stray well into the backstreets of theatrical presentation. That said, there is something curiously appealing about this particular musical cocktail of anger mixed with angst then mixed with an almost endearing degree of pretentiousness. For example, I’m not sure why “BrewDog” should have become a target for the finger that points as the production of beer is a holy task and all sins can therefore be forgiven yet this nearly but not quite social commentary rattles and rants on for over five minutes before succumbing splendidly to its own glorious untidiness. “Working Woman’s Blues” is another rambling extravaganza of chords on the sharp edge of the abyss topped off with another attitude filled rant that made me wonder if Shinlifter spend their spare time looking for friends in the friend shop.
Despite the general untidiness that seems to be a trademark of Shinlifter, it is pleasing to hear a band that both has a voice of their own and has something to say about the plastic prison in which we all now live.