It appears that interest in !!! has waned somewhat over the last 10 years. ‘Shake the Shudder’ is the band’s fourth record since 2007, but their Wikipedia biography abruptly stops with that year’s ‘Myth Takes’.
Nic Offer and friends have been touting their sometimes inspired but often confusing mix of dance-punk for over 20 years, but where similar bands such as Liars and the Rapture expanded their horizons during their careers it appears that !!! are keeping it old school and not changing a goddamn thing.
While still experimental in parts, !!!’s seventh album still harks back to their ‘00s output, something that many bands popular in that era still seem to think is OK.
There doesn’t appear to be any yearning for progress and the majority of the songs here are disco and funk-inspired, without any of the slightly edgier guitars and percussion that made songs like Must Be the Moon and Heart of Hearts from ‘Myth Takes’ so memorably catchy.
There are plus points, however. The first is that none of the songs outstay their welcome. On previous efforts there were a few tracks dotted around that lingered for a little longer than they should, but most of these new tunes clock in around a more manageable four minutes.
That’s the perfect amount of time to get up for a wee boogie without having to shuffle idly while waiting for a beat to kick back in. There’s also not a lot of Offer’s sometimes monotone delivery, with many of the better tracks being helped along with some great backing vocals.
!!! aren’t going backwards as such, but they’re not making any inroads into a new sound either. ‘Shake the Shudder’ is more of a frustrating record than a bad one given the promise shown and the talent that these guys clearly have.
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