The Shape of Things is the second album from the fun disco punk band Bugeye. For those not familiar, Bugeye originally formed in the 90s and have built a strong reputation for themselves on the live scene thanks to their lively, infectious performances. I have been lucky enough to see them twice so far and I can attest they are a really great band to see live, so I was excited to hear their new album. I was late to the Bugeye party, only getting into them relatively recently, but I was definitely not disappointed.
This album is living proof that punk doesn’t have to sound angry to be relevant. The Shape of Things is one vibrant, colourful disco punk party which I would happily choose as the soundtrack to a girls’ night out, or in for that matter. The sounds are uplifting, glittery and punchy, and the whole album makes me want to dance, even when Bugeye are covering heavier topics such as on ‘Comfortably Numb’, which is all about the emotional crash when a night out turns for the worse, or ‘Are We Still Breathing?’ which tackles the very current topic of the complexity of the growth of AI.
Another thing that is great about this album is the wide range of topics covered in the songs. From the personal nature of ‘Comfortably Numb’ and pop tinged banger ‘The Best’, which captures the euphoric high of a brilliant night out before it all comes crashing down, to wider social themes like AI in ‘Are We Still Breathing?’ and influencer culture and social media in ‘VIP’. ‘VIP’, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’ and ‘This Is What I Want’ all include a tongue firmly in cheek sassiness that gives the album an extra layer of humour and personality.
Musically there are comparisons to make to feminist punk band Le Tigre, but also Madonna, Peaches and Alison Goldfrapp style vocals on tracks like ‘A Little Void’ and ‘Are We Still Breathing?’. My personal favourite track is ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’ which feels especially inspired by Le Tigre and is impossible to imagine standing still to. In fact, the whole album feels built for the dancefloor. Even listening alone at home, the songs feel communal, like music designed to pull people together into one sweaty, joy filled disco punk party.
There is a thread of joy running throughout this album. Bugeye sound like a band genuinely having fun and that energy shines through in every song. For fans of 80s pop, feminist punk and electro, there is so much here to love.
Joyzine have spoken to the band to give us even more insight into the songs on the album, so we will be sharing their track-by-track in the next few days, so keep an eye out for that.
The Shape of Things is out now and you can get it on Bandcamp
Bugeye Socials: Instagram/Facebook
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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