One of the best things about writing about music is hearing a band for the first time and being totally blown away. Shop Talk, a punk rock band from Brooklyn, has just released an absolute face-melter of a single titled "W.C.U.D." I was wowed to hear a New York–based band in 2024 sounding like what I imagine The Adverts would have sounded like if they'd been from Southern California. And then I went back and listened to Shop Talk's debut EP from last year and felt totally lame about not having been hip to this band sooner! "W.C.U.D." is a blistering cut of straight-forward punk rock that hits you with killer hooks and a burning intensity. I dig the conviction of the vocals and the substance of the lyrics, and how hot is that bass playing? This is a relatable song since it concerns the moral implications of resigning yourself to a bad situation. We've all been there. It can freeing to absolve yourself of responsibility when you can no longer control a situation, but it doesn't mean you don't still feel shitty about it. "The Will," the virtual B-side, is a perfectly complementary track with its more measured, darkly melodic ferocity. I'm always a sucker for a band that can manage to be reminiscent of first wave punk rock without resorting to pale imitation, and Shop Talk totally hits that mark. "W.C.U.D." could pass for a lost classic 45 from punk rock's heyday. If the single floors you the way it floored me, I urge you to also look into the aforementioned EP, The Offering (in particular the Damned-ish title track). Shop Talk is the real deal, and I will be eagerly awaiting its future releases!
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