“All Or Nothing” is a catchy, indie inspired post-punk record with no filler and tons of energy.
By Gavin Majeski
“All Or Nothing” is the fourth record from UK outfit Shopping, and sees them further establish their blend of indie rock and groovy post-punk. “All Or Nothing” forgoes the DIY and raw aesthetic from their previous records in place of a clean sound with crisp vocals. Instrumentally, the band is still as catchy as ever but now nothing feels muffled.
The band’s distinctive sound from lead vocalist Rachel Aggs is balanced fantastically with tracks that share equal vocal output from drummer Andrew Milk. The choruses and hooks on every track are sticky, and the vocal performances are solid even though inflection doesn’t change much from song to song. The baselines are groovy and the guitar work from Aggs is intricate and angular. The drumming from Andrew Milk on the other hand is nothing to write home about. Drumming has never been the instrumental selling point of Shopping, but the solid guitar work makes up for where the drums fall behind.
Even with no tracks that stand out as poor, the entire album blends together due to the sound becoming stale as the records runs on. No matter how catchy your songs are, a lack of instrumental differentiation leaves the listener wanting something more. Just like bands from post-punk’s precursor genre, punk, Shopping is an artist that finds difficulty taking a sound and diversifying it.
Though a good showing from Shopping, “All Or Nothing” lacks the experimentation and ambition to make it a one of a kind record.
Favorite Tracks: All Or Nothing, Initiative, No Apologies, For Your Pleasure, About You, Expert Advice, Body Clock, Trust In Us
7/10