Shoplifting

The simple comparison says Shoplifting sounds like Unwound crossed with dance-influenced forebears Gang of Four and The Raincoats. The mood is spooky and aggressive, drowning in the same dark waters of Sonic Youth’s Confusion Is Sex. Featuring members of The Gossip and Soiled Doves, Shoplifting is indeed a supergroup, considering its members’ underground status. Before any albums were released, fellow musicians having seen the band live were already espousing the brilliance, the uniqueness that Shoplifting represented. Guitars lurch like seasick sailors on slippery ship decks. Detuned strings, bending with beats, are at times more dance floor than rock club. The band proves even more lethal in the presentation of political discourse. “Male Gynecology” explores ideas of the male body being mapped, touched and picked apart in the same manner as a woman’s. The edginess and nervous movement the band brings is scary. And Shoplifting’s utterly perfect execution in every area is what makes a band legitimately great.