One thing can be said about Shame: they're not afraid of shaking things up. After 2018's debut album Songs of Praise ushered in a wave of like-minded bands using post-punk to channel their frustrations, the South London quintet moved on, adding touches of highlife and dance-punk to 2021's Drunk Tank Pink. With Food for Worms, Shame cut their post-punk ties, letting their previously taut songs unfurl into uncharted territory. Aiding them is Flood, a logical choice of producer for a band with a flair for the anthemic, but the results aren't exactly predictable; the album's most straightforwardly rousing song, "All the People," closes the album in a burst of bittersweet glory. On their previous albums, Shame always sounded resolutely sure of themselves. On Food for Worms, they're confident enough to entertain more possibilities and more vulnerability within their music. They make one of their biggest leaps with "Orchid," an acoustic waltz that displays a remarkable amount of mystery, romance, and poetic wonder from these usually jaded observers. Even when they return to keenly noted critiques on "Different Person" ("You speak with a different accent now/For fun"), its shifting tempos and rhythms and operatic intensity reflect their commitment to expressing themselves in new ways. Sometimes, these new ways aren't as immediate as the old ones. Though Food for Worms' songs are still grounded by shouted choruses, Shame give themselves more room to wander between them, adding passages of shimmering distortion reflecting the influence of Blumfeld and Merchandise on "Yankees" and surging peaks and valleys on "Fingers of Steel" and "The Fall of Paul." Despite all the changes Shame introduces on Food for Worms, the fury of their music is in rude health. They sound as combative as ever on the surprisingly funky "Six-Pack" and "Alibis" -- one of many songs that reaffirm Charlie Steen has one of the best bellows of his generation -- and when "Burning by Design" gallops towards its close, it makes for one of the album's most exhilarating moments. On Food for Worms, Shame don't so much discard everything that came before as strip away what doesn't fit anymore. Occasionally, the results are a little muddled, but at its best, the album is a thrilling testament to creative bravery. ~ Heather Phares