Stephen EvEns – I Hate Shop (I Am Shop) (2021)
Stephen EvEns is following up his last album with a critique of high street retailers. ‘I Hate Shop (I Am Shop)’ hits all the post-punk sweet spots while taking on the major retailers with swooping guitars and exotic crackles. Musing on the injustice and futility of the world, he delivers his critique with a wry smile and eccentric flows.
While multi-instrumentalist EvEns brings the drums, baritone guitar and vocals to the track, he pulls on the talents of a host of Brixton Hill collaborators. With backing vocals from Caroline Gilchrist, Anna Dodridge, Gabi Garbutt, Kate Arnold and Katie Wilson, Nick Howiantz on bass and Jimi Scandal on lead guitar, the single crashes through your senses. There is a wonderful magical ring to the music that keeps you hooked from start to finish.
‘I Hate Shop (I Am Shop)’ hits you with the grooves of the melody from the first moment. There is a real post-punk feeling to the melody as it taps against your senses. There is a stomping feeling to the melody that makes you think of protest songs and wanting to shout out against the establishment. The beats thump against your ears while the guitars pull at your senses and move your shoulders to them.
While the melody has you stomping to the rhythm, it is EvEns’ vocals that are the real star. From the first word, he brings his critique of high street retailers and having to work for them to life. He brings the drudgery of the 9 to 5 grind of retail workers to life with a really engaging movement. The backing vocals create a community feeling on the chorus that gives a voice to all those who feel they can’t say anything. As the single continues, he wraps an encouragement to get out of your situation into the realism of daily life. It is a really wonderful single that makes you want to shout out with it while having a really great time.
Stephen EvEns hits out at the high street and the drudgery of retail work through the stomping tones of ‘I Hate Shop (I Am Shop)’. The melody has you stomping to it with the post-punk vibes of protest songs. The vocals are the star of the track and bring the emotions of retail work to your ears while searching for an escape. This is brought to amazing visual life through the official music video.
Find out more about Stephen EvEns on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
