Shopping Announce New Album All Or Nothing, Share Lead Single
Photo by Matt Draper
The British post-punk trio Shopping have shared “Initiative,” the first single off their forthcoming 2020 record All Or Nothing. The track shows the group continuing to lean into their punchy sound that’s all at once aggressive and uplifting, with clear political undertones in the lyrics.
“Initiative”—like countless punk tracks before it—was written in a basement. The quite literally underground genesis of the track shows in the strongly rooted drive that the group displays within. From the start, we’re thrown an ambitious bass groove, frenetic drums and cutting vocals from singer Rachel Aggs. The chorus is punctuated with the accusation, “Why can’t you show some initiative?”
The music video for the track drives home the dilemma of workplace productivity—and the subsequent burnout known all too well. Shopping’s three eccentric members are shown frenetically typing away at their office desks through the workday. To keep up with the pace they slug down coffee, shred scattered papers and affix sticky notes reading “Do better!” But the message is clear: No matter how quickly they write emails or take phone calls, their work never seems to pay off.
The group explained the internal reflection that inspired their latest collection of music in a statement:
We found ourselves singing about being true to yourself, in an often binary and belligerent digital age, and reclaiming agency when it feels like our personal freedom and privacy is constantly eroding.
All Or Nothing is set for release Feb. 7, 202, on Fat Cat Records and can be preordered here. You can watch the video for “Initiative” below, and find Shopping’s album details and spring tour dates further down.
