Nothing Bad on Bad Shapes' Debut LP
With all of the corona virus fears and precautions many businesses and venues around the country have been closing their doors. This has taken a huge toll on the music industry with bands all over the world having to cancel tours and shows. This is the time to come together and support musicians by streaming their music non-stop and watching live performances while we are on quarantine.
One group of musicians worthy of high stream numbers are Bad Shapes. The Philly based post-punk post-rock band's music will hit home for fans of bands like DIIV, Muse, and Title Fight (all of TF's albums combined).
The Bad Shapes' self titled debut is out this Friday and there is a ton happening musically across this album for all rock fans to enjoy. Throughout my listens of the LP I was consistently impressed by the wide array of sounds and influences that have found their way onto this album. Pop punk, experimental, noise/drone, audio samples, break downs, build ups, and often math rock-esque guitar melodies all have a place somewhere across the dynamic highs and lows of these songs.
While all of these elements together may seem chaotic by description, Bad Shapes masterfully weaves them together for an unpredictable yet somehow calculated ten track LP. There is so much to like about this album. One of the things that really stands out to me are the variety of dynamics within individual songs. "BZE" for instance, starts hard and heavy; something to rush to the pit for. Bad Shapes will throw you for a loop when you get there (to the pit) and the song has suddenly given way to a vibey, elevator music type section. You turn to leave the pit and are almost immediately driven to return when the pounding drums and guitars jolt back in. By contrast "Pacer" starts low and soothing, gradually building to some full out jam sections and more intense vocals, eventually mellowing out with some audio samples. The attention to dynamics added a lot for something and made this an album that holds your attention start to finish. I have really enjoyed this album and I am confident many of you will as well!
Bad Shapes originally had a release show Friday at the Barbary, but due to the turbulent times it has given way to a Facebook Live Stream release performance. I hear the band is well versed in accompanying visuals so this will definitely be one that you do not want to miss. Follow the band's Facebook page to stay up to date with band news and keep an eye out for the live stream. In case you can't wait till Friday to listen to some new Bad Shapes music, check out their latest single "Cloisters" (leans more toward the experimental side) on Spotify or your platform of choice.
Bad Shapes is out March 27, 2020 - DON'T MISS IT!