“I could fucking destroy you or be your best friend.”
Having been dormant on the scene for a while now, Shit Present are back, with their first album in seven years. The pop-punk trio from Exeter return following an extremely tough period personally for guitarist and vocalist Iona Cairns and the feeling of recovery is evident within this record. Whilst lyrically simple the message is clear and with a vibe that will transport you back to under-age drinking with your friends in the garage/basement/skatepark.
Every track will please the teenage angst of the ’25-30 something year olds’ amongst us, whilst remaining thoroughly upbeat, and speaking as one of those myself, there is little our age group love more than re-visiting our misspent youth and the nostalgia this record brings will be somewhat of a ‘guilty pleasure’ for most. It’s one sure to put a smile on your face, with a poignant message carried below the exterior.
The juxtaposition of this record is commendable. The ability to produce such an upbeat, and at times anthemic, collection whilst exploring incredibly confronting themes of the stigma surrounding mental health, recovery, therapy and abuse, is impressive. You can either listen to this album as a Catharism and an ode to perseverance or simply as a good time, and at no point does the duality feel hollow.
Like the key releases of the ‘emo era’ such as Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, Futures and Tell All Your Friends, it encourages the embracing of our vulnerabilities that we all so often shy away from with a ‘stiff upper lip’ mentality and evokes the feeling of companionship that so many find within music. There is truly the sense, similarly to Vukovi’s most recent release Nula, that you are not alone and if this record touches and helps one person then for Shit Present, this project has been worth it.
“Cram The Page” kicks things off and a mellow guitar riff pulls the whole song together beautifully. It investigates Cairns’s bipolar diagnosis and the struggle of coming to terms with it as well as the effect it has had on extant relationships “She’s lost all her friends, doesn’t blame them at all.” However, instead of remaining in the destruction of such a diagnosis, things are turned on their head with a change in perspective “it can tear you down or fly you away.” It is refreshing to hear someone so openly challenge the fact that the cessation of stigmas and judgement must first stop with the individual. “Fuck It” does exactly what it says on the tin lyrically, “you should be careful what you say to me” leaving no doubt that this is a song of reclamation and “Voice In Your Head” follows up, bringing a very clear and similar statement. “More To Lose” is an interesting one and brings a rarely discussed topic that is experienced by many after healing from negative experiences or trauma. When you step in your true self you risk losing who you’ve now become if you continue to be dragged down by others and often lose many people, as you no longer fit their idea of your identity “now you feel better they’re not used to you”.
“Unravelling” has an air of frustration and is a representation of a break-down not previously purveyed to the listener. The use of guitar distortion here and there definitely helps to put that across effectively. Both “The Pain” and “Way I’d Like” bring us into the post recovery phase of life, discovering how to fit into the world as your ‘new self’ and creating new connections and relationships, with the latter leading into “What Still Gets Me”. This track is definitely not an easy listen lyrically, confronting the issues around men being inherently dangerous to women in some instances and breaking down the idea that it’s strangers women fear when often the greatest threat lies at home, “it’s not always the stranger in the dark, it’s the person you trust who goes too far”. “Crossed The Line” follows on nicely almost as a response to the above sentiment and the manipulation that can go with it. It’s a slower moment in the record as is “Beyond Tonight” with the latter returning to a more anthemic chorus. The last three tracks of this album; “Too Into It”, “Ever After” and “Talking About The Rain”, finish off with a strong reflection and statements of recovery.
As is the case for most of this record it’s sonically pleasing from a musical perspective but lacks any real technicality or depth. That said, the musicianship gets the job done. It is not meant to be the focus of this record, it is the vehicle for the overarching message and it would be unfair to judge too harshly based on this fact when you look at the bigger picture. It’s a thoroughly ‘good time’ if that’s what you want to it be or a record of struggle and reclamation if you wish to find more poignancy.
7.5/10