Review

Shameless’ debut album Nkabi Rock is a crowning moment

Shameless have made a real name for themselves over the last few years, steadily becoming a cult favourite with fans and their full-length debut album, Nkabi Rock, that has been seven years in the making, conveys feelings of freedom and unapologetic self-expression.

The album is a fusion of the Soweto trio’s collective influences as bassist Thabang Khonje explains, “Shameless is the result of us mixing all our influences to create something similar to how chemical compounds are brewed. We’ve successfully combined African and Western music to create our sound.”  By mixing metal, punk, blues, kwaito, jazz and mbaqanga, Nkabi Rock morphs into a mbaqanga punk record  mirroring aspects of Busi Mhlongo’s Urban Zulu by elevating aspects of traditional music to new heights. 

The album opens with “Nakhu Ses’fika”, a potent blend of kwaito and metal that signals the band’s arrival. Tracks like  “Victim of Data” and “Mission Impossible” delve into the heavier territories, the latter is a revised version of the song featuring Portuguese band Scúru Fitchádu. 

Shameless also expertly tackle the everyday issues of their community with guitarist, Musa Zwane describing their songwriting approach as, “What we see is what you get.”

Highlights on the album include “4×4”, a slightly humourous narrative about getting jumped unexpectedly at a drinking hole and “Angeke Silwe”, which meshes punk and mbaqanga and cleverly incorporates the genre’s historical origins in migrant labour hostels in its lyrics. “‘Angeke Silwe’ is an anti-protest song celebrating how a few drinks can indiscriminately bring people together,” Zwane says. 

Nkabi Rock has many strong moments, but perhaps the most compelling moment on the album is “Being High”. For seven minutes and 50 seconds, Shameless lay bare their musical identity. The composition is masterfully crafted with a vulnerable vocal performance serving as a powerful end.

Drummer and vocalist, Thabo Masina, sums up the project saying, “Everyone is a product of their environment, this album gives listeners a sense of where we come from, who we are and the attitudes we have. We want to give people a chance to expand their consciousness and to be themselves.” 

While I do agree with Thabo, I also think that Shameless aren’t merely a product of their environment, they’re steadily on their way to creating an environment that is a product of their own making by breaking barriers and creating a safe space for people to exist and create.