NEW SCHOOL OLD SCHOOL POST-PUNK
Two great U.K. bands show the possibilities of vintage noise
The second lp from London’s Shame is a thrilling kick in the teeth. They recall the jagged repetition of the Fall and the prole-thrash zeal of Stiff Little Fingers on guitar-howl screeds like “Snow Day,” in which walking through the city in bad weather makes for a grueling journey inward. Drunk Tank Pink really takes off when the assault gives way to a groove, à la art-funk gods ESG or Liquid Liquid.
Goat Girl’s second album evokes the dreamier side of post-punk — bands like the Raincoats and Oh-OK. Listening to On All Fours is like wandering in a cool thrift shop, from the rattletrap revelation of “Jazz (In the Supermarket)” to the bracingly pretty “Anxiety Feels,” a ghost of a song about kicking meds and choosing real life, no matter how often it might burn you.