ALBUM: Cabbage – Nihilistic Glamour Shots

A piercingly cynical soundtrack of austerity riddled Britain, Cabbage’s debut studio album has been worth the wait.

Parts of Nihilistic Glamour Shots clearly have a future place in the live set lists waiting for them. Album opener Preach To The Converted has carries all the previously exhibited anthemic qualities they so intelligently use to almost make you forget how grim the content is. But this is far from being merely a rehash of last year’s compilation album, this is a showcase of more depth than any of their previous works.

Previously released singles Gibraltar Ape and Arms of Pleonexia had been well received by fans, and its testament to the wealth of quality displayed here that those two don’t particularly stand out when sandwiched in between new tunes.

The highlight, in fact, comes through Exhibit A. This is the ultimate ‘Us v Them’ tune, and at times almost feels like a call to revolt despite being one of the slower, more instrumentally subdued ones one here. What it does do so well to make it stand out is kick in short sharp and shattering bursts that become some of the most memorable lyrics the album offers. Of these a personal favourite is the grumble of “They’ll slice your arm off if you ask for a hand. Oh it’s lovely with the Bullingdon boys, so grand”.

One thing that stands out from minute one of this album is that a more conscious effort to speak more brutally for the disillusioned youth that they have given a voice to, perhaps the reason for the opening track title. Whereas previously their mix or anarchy politics has always had a jokey edge to it, this collection is certainly a more serious, and more scathing review of our times.

Interestingly, Celebration of a Disease makes the cut for the album over Network Betrayal, two songs released first on 2017’s Extended Play of Cruelty, with the later seeming to be much more suited to the overall feel of the album, but the former does add some more bite to prevent the bitterness becoming too much.

For me, this is the most relevant album, and along with Sleaford Mods the most relevant artist, that we have seen for a long time. Every battle, every struggle, every time there is disillusion on the streets somebody comes along to write exactly what needs to be said. In 2018, its Cabbage.

Nihilistic Glamour Shots is released March 30 on Infectious Music.

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