Altsounds - Shapes - The Pasture, The Oil [EP]

What we have here is another thoroughly satisfying release from those friendly folks at Big Scary Monsters, Shapes madcap debut 'The Pasture, The Oil' comes across like an even more pissed off Future Of The Left jamming with Gallows and the results are initially striking.

Opening gambit 'Trampled By A Horse' sounds precisely as you would expect it to sound given the title and sets the tone for much of the record. The break-neck speed, every shifting time signatures and primal scream vocals are all traits which have been used countless times before in hardcore punk music but Shapes combine these heavier, more demanding elements with a bevy of hooks which take a good few listens to sink in (always the mark of a good record). It's a well chosen statement intent as it's probably one of the the most brutal tracks here however the rest is by no means soft!

'The Escapologist' picks up where 'Horse' left off with more of the same, but here the blistering beats and psychotic guitars are paired to a more structured and melodic sensibility with sparks of sung vocals. The 'chorus' (if you'd call it that) is little more than a punishing scream but everything around it is fit to bursting with ideas. The vocals are by far the least interesting thing about this band though and to over-analyse them would be pointless as there is really very little too analyse. 'Our Children's Children' borrows its lyrical queues from Radiohead's 'Idioteque' and is probably the most immediate track on the record. It's unrelenting in it's own way and marked the point in the record where my attention began to wane a little. Shapes are a one trick band. Granted they play that trick to perfection, however, after a while any trick becomes tire-some. I suspect I'd find it very hard to sit through an entire albums worth of tracks if they maintained this monotony. There is a mellow breakdown towards the end of the track which I really loved though, with it's (only just) off-key guitars and distant violins reminding me very much of early Modest Mouse.

The palette is expanded on briefly in 'The Moon is bright But Coned Off' which expands on the more subtle moments of 'The Moon' with cascading guitar effects and delicate shoe-gaze guitar. The opening to the song is gorgeous and proved a welcome respite from the chaos which preceded it, It's a shame the band doesn't explore this side of their sound more, it could really come in handy if they ever release a full album. Of course as the song builds towards it's climax the guitars build in speed and volume and we're back to the onslaught. It works though and feels much more cathartic because of the relative quiet which preceded it. The gradually building dynamic and intricate guitar patterns are something that wouldn't sound out of place on a Mogwai record; this is the only track on the record which doesn't contain vocals and it's by FAR the most interesting.... take from that what you will.

The tracks which round off the record unfortunately follow the patterns already drawn over countless times in the records first half and as such I was a little disappointed. Both are really well written, tight and engaging hardcore songs but I know there is so much more that Shapes are capable of. 'Your Butcher' is the better of the two with a punishing vocal and some really interesting break-downs which bring back the violin from 'The Moon' to grand, emotional effect. 'Such Stoics' by comparison is a straight ahead (by Shapes self appointed standards) rocker. The record ends as it began, with it's heart in it's throat and it's balls to the wall, and one feels as it clicks to a halt that those were 20 pretty exhilarating minutes well spent.

All in all there's a great deal to admire and enjoy here.... but little to love. It's a great record on it's own terms but the band are obviously capable of something vastly more interesting, I personally can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Tracklisting:-
1. Trampled By A Horse
2. The Escapologist
3. Our Children's Children
4. *The Moon Is Bright But Coned Off*
5. Such Stoics
6. *You Butcher*