Shook

eloquently addressed systemic injustice and hypocrisy long before many other acts grew a social consciousness in the late 2010s. Even so, they're on another level with , an album whose title captures the fear, and potential for change, surrounding times of great upheaval. weren't just shaken, but almost broken, before making the album. However, as and recorded during the COVID-19 global pandemic, they reconnected with their music, their friendship, and the resilience of their Atlanta hometown. 's creative rebirth underscores just how well-equipped are to express all the sides of deep-seated, righteous anger. They might be full of revolutionary fire, as on "Everybody Shatter." One of many songs steeped in history, the album's opening track ties together the sounds of the Atlanta subway system, 's "Subway Theme," memories of the 1981 Atlanta child murders, backing vocals from 's , and a verse from stalwart into a furious, quintessentially statement of purpose. They might be somber and mournful, as on "Green Iris," a meditative mix of jazz and gospel that slowly becomes a call to fight. However, they're never resigned. If anything, hard times have made the band more willing to lean into uncomfortable territory: "A Good Man" transforms 's "Am I a Good Man" into a searing punk vignette of questionable white allyship. To make 's grand statement, reached out to friends far and wide, and the numerous guests focus the album's message of unity. When it comes to speaking truth to power with a boundary-breaking style, are kindred spirits, and is a perfect fit on "Irreversible Damage" as it morphs from dense rap-rock punctuated with needling guitars and siren-like synths to a loping, almost Middle Eastern-inspired rhythm. "Bite Back" is a nightmarish standout, with depicting a world full of corruption, violence, and justified paranoia over lunging synths and prickly keyboards befitting a horror movie. On "I Can't Stand It!"'s heartbroken fusion of gospel, soul, and noise, ' make as much of an impact. As reach out for communion, they open up their music from their earlier albums' dense sonics. 's production is remarkably layered, whether on the ghostly interlude "Cleanse Your Guilt Here" or the intricate collage of and spoken word on "Out of Style Tragedy." This immersive quality is especially affecting when trace 's pain and anger back to its roots. They evoke the centuries of trauma caused by slavery on "An Echophonic Soul," a spectral, string- and sax-laden collaboration with , and find bittersweet reassurance on "Momentary," which closes the album with gospel choirs and a monologue by . More of an experience than a set of songs, 's stunning, often harrowing journey of surviving and resisting is well worth taking. ~ Heather Phares