Bugeye - The Shape Of Things (INH Records) 
Release Date: 15th May 2026
'The Shape Of Things' is the second album from Croydon's Bugeye but, much to my own personal shame, it's the first time I've actually engaged with them. This is a stonking album and one that will hopefully garner the quintet much more attention so let's get down to it, shall we? The album opens with 'Comfortably Numb' (not that one), a track that could be a descendant of Gary Numan's dark electro-pop as it throbs with low synth notes and struts with a futuristic energy backing the strident Lady Gaga-esque vocals. 'The Best' has a more mischievious energy to it with pop, electro and rock blending together like a version of Republica for female lead Total Recall reboot soundtrack.
On 'This Is What I Want' the bass grumbles and grunts beneath some dancing synths and Shampoo-esque vocals while 'A Little Void' has an irresistable indie-punk energy matched with a siren-song vocal that would draw me to any dancefloor without being asked twice. 'This Ain't A Love Song' is another example of starting with a bass and beat combo before exploding into something as stylish as the Long Blondes, as powerful as Blondie and as visceral as Loose Artcles. The searing riff on 'These Walls Will Fall' will have you doing you best David Bowie dance (no? just me?) before 'Are We Still Breathing' taps into that Goldfrapp sound with lazer beam vocals and a thumping, club-ready beat.
'Dirty Feds and Robbers' is as angular as a power suit and infused with a strong 80s aesthetic but 'VIP' really shows of the power of frontwoman Angela Martin's vocal. On penultimate track 'Welcome To The Team' we get a Bangles meets Nirvana pop-grunge treat with some playful keys thrown in to keep you on your toes. The album reaches an initially subdued but ultimately triumphant conclusion on 'Model Behaviour', a song which bubbles up from confessional voice notes to strident 80s power-pop. Reading this review back, there are a whole host of excellent reference points in there but I can't think of anyone around at the moment doing what Bugeye do so that makes them quite special in my book.
More information: https://www.instagram.com/bugeye_music/