ShitDisco - 'Kingdom Of Fear' (Fierce Panda) Released 16/04/07

ShitDisco have a reputation. Best known for chaotic free parties, for playing gigs anywhere and for being lumped in with the New Rave movement it is perhaps a miracle the Glasgow four piece have been able to release an album at all, especially after their drummer managed to fall from the roof of their tour bus and break his wrist. The album itself quickly rubbishes any New Rave ideas from the start, there may be dance inspiration here but this is streamlined speeded up punk funk from beginning to end.

The pace is relentless, there’s barely any pause before another track whips its way in, frantically following a preset course to the finish line. The opening ‘I Know Kung Fu’ is goofily addictive, upbeat and leaving you with a big grin, right from its opening war drums to its shout out loud chorus. Following that initial hit is ‘Reactor Party’, another catchy mix of call and response vocals, loping bass lines and an ace bit where everyone goes Ba Ba Ba Ba. 

While ‘Disco Blood’ may attempt a heavier disco feel it only makes a slight difference, though it allows the wired, panic stricken triple vocals of Joel Stone, Joe Reeves and Jan Lee to combine well with the added bonus of some falsetto at the end, giving the impression of the Bee Gees turning up to place vocals over a Talking Heads backing track. It also has the all time great/stupid line of  “Bobby Orlando is coming round for tea”. The initial and excellent barrage closes with ‘72 Virgins’, a propulsive dance floor funk heavy monster, danceable but with a whacking great chorus lobbed in for good measure. Utterly brilliant and quite possibly a future breakthrough hit..

Sadly, it all becomes a bit tiresome after that. The formula remains the same but without the genius hooks found in the opening tracks. ‘Dream Of Infinity’ brings out the falsetto again and seems to be an attempt at a less helter skelter offering. However it never actually goes anywhere, lacking the strident power from before and failing to compensate for that with anything else. At least it isn’t the total mess of  the electro tinged ‘3D Sex Show’, a truly disjointed number that is the musical version of throwing everything at the wall and hoping something sticks. Nothing does. Add in the mumbled vocals and dopey lyrics and you’ve a track to always skip. The band’s lyrics also have a random feel to them in places and when that backfires they sound rather stupid.