If we were to analyse it, we tend to throw the word punk around quite free and easily when bands shout their lyrics and play spiky guitar bits with a limited number of chords. SHLUG, however, are PUNK, not just with a capital P but with a capital every letter. ‘Baby Teef’ is hardcore. You can almost smell and feel the flecks of sweat flying off the trio’s flailing scalps and limbs as their buzzsaw riffs get executed. A welcome, empowering assault to the senses, SHLUG use their smelting anger as a unifying power against youthful feelings of embarrassment and feeling excluded, declaring the empathetic call: “Born a leech. Just like me” to all appreciative experiencers of their tempestuous mission.
As much of Cardiff’s best music is right now, the record is produced by Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard’s emergent genius of a frontman Tom Rees, yet it’s hard to imagine the noise-rockers’ sound being further away from their Clwb Music labelmate’s (unless they sounded like Little Mix maybe). Weighing in at a hefty 6 minutes, even though there’s literal blood dripping out of our throbbing ears when it’s all over, we’re still sat here gagging for more.
‘Baby Teef’ was released on 25th January 2023 on Cardiff label Clwb Music and if you like what you read and hear you can catch the lads playing The Golden Lion in Bristol on 2nd March 2023, and as part of the massive Midnight Mass bank holiday line up on 9th April 2023 at Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. You can watch the record’s rambunctious video below: