CD REVIEW: SHIT THE COW – The One With The Devil EP

Shane | 4 October 2016 | Reply

CD REVIEW: SHIT THE COW – The One With The Devil EP
Independent
1 September, 2016
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
8 ½ /10

Sweden’s Shit The Cow unleash their inner warrior on EP number 5, bookending the release with two very different takes on the track Warcow.

Opening with a combat rock take on the track, like another genre-defying, boundary-pushing band who released their own album of ‘Combat Rock’ in 1982, Shit The Cow are a musical force unto themselves, a melange of influences and slave to none, as much adventurous art-rock experiment as band.

One With the Devil sees Peter Söderberg sounding like the bastard son of Nick Cave and Jello Biafra while a swaggering guitar line summons Ol’ Skullface.

The beguiling background vocals of a young lady credited only as Alex brighten the post-punk darkness of El Chupacabra and the Villain the latter especially bringing to mind some of PiL’s explorations at the outer edges of rock.

Iggy has street walkin’ cheetah swagger as well as an ice cold new wave stare, making it Shit The Cow’s punkiest moment so far, and if all this subversive sonic aggression is getting a bit much to take, the second, closing, Warcow is wistful and delicate, slowed to half speed and milked of the first’s rage by the gentle and sweet lead vocals of Alex.

It’s one hell of a come down from another wild trip of an EP from the scrapyard rockers, and the furthest they’ve ventured into punk and post-punk territory, and surely with five excellent EPs under their belt – all full of a distinctive sound but with great variations, surely the scene is set for them to construct an exciting debut full length album soon.