Shaven Primates are a five-piece from Oxford, UK who hit our inboxes with the “alt thought” experiment of their latest EP, Birds Arent Real. The band exists to push the boundaries of independent rock music, typically challenging both ears and brains simultaneously with a mix of dark wave, art rock, and post punk layered atop of a solid prog bedrock. This latest batch of five continues that trend – a highly conceptual (and borderline conspiratorial) offering with plenty to think about, both musically and lyrically… All it’s missing is an exposé on the moon landing (which is, without a doubt, fake).
Album opener “Fade Away” touches on the presence of fascism in social media – as the band explains it, it was: “Inspired by the Louis Theroux interviews with YouTubers Nick Fuentes and Baked Alaska.” The ideas portrayed here are cleverly veiled with pointed (but not finger-pointed) turns of phrase, which helps the informationally dense topic go down a little smoother. A swaggering groove helps give “Fade” a menacing feel, while soaring vocals bring the choruses here to intensities reminiscent of 70s greats like Pink Floyd, Yes, or Genesis. There’s an underlying anger here that’s bubbling just underneath, and it gives the song a tasty urgency that belies the undercurrents of dissatisfaction found throughout Birds Aren’t Real.
“A Decision” takes a darker turn, touching on an individual who took their own life. They explore the butterfly effect of a happening like this and how it also might effect the people that may have loved them. The music in “Decision” echoes the subject matter – a downtrodden and unsettling feeling is the overwhelming feeling here, but you can’t help but notice the nimble basslines and lightning flashes of squiggly synth glory. Lyrics like “Haunted by the lurking race of futility/His drifting fades to chalk up a deafening soliloquy/I saw his face, black holed gaze, drift away/All helpless chase the endless space on his quest to make” hit hard as wah-wah guitar solos channel feelings of inner frustration, and as mentioned above, futility and helplessness. This one gets our nod for favorite on the album – its truly Shaven Primates at their strongest. Emotions, melodies, and instrumentation line up perfectly in a fitting tribute to a fallen friend.
EP closer “Birds Aren’t Real” takes a Latin approach, with splashes of organ and nimble, guitar angularity. While yelling “birds aren’t real” as an exclamation has become a bit of a meme, it’s nice to hear Shaven Primates take a lighthearted approach to close things out. An explosion of punk greatness helps to root this one solidly in the classic rock camp – and while they fool you into thinking they’re cooling off to wrap things up, they launch right back into rip-saw territory for a final huzzah.
Birds Aren’t Real is out now… Be sure to check it out via their Spotify and Bandcamp links, and take a peek at their Linktree to see everything they have to offer.