SKORTS Capture Impermanence in Debut Album ‘Incompletement’
Photo by Nico Malvaldi
SKORTS exploded onto the music scene—literally. An amp exploded at their first show, and the freak accident heralded the band’s electrifying performances that have sparked attention ahead of their debut album ‘Incompletement.’
Guitarist and lead singer Alli Walls, guitarist/vocalist Char Smith, bassist/vocalist Emma Welch, and drummer Max Berdik are no strangers to the road. Named 2024’s “Hardest Working Band” by Oh My Rockness, SKORTS won Our Wicked Lady’s Winter Madness battle-of-the-bands tournament, supported The Velveteers’ North American Tour this past August, and squeezed in some of their own headline shows.
Like their namesake clothing, SKORTS’ sound is an eccentric, experimental juxtaposition of influences: post-punk power with shoegaze sensibilities and a hint of 80s glam and Western ballads. The dynamism and of their sound matches the album’s name ‘Incompletement,’ a SKORTS-invented word that the album’s liner notes defines as “allowing oneself to live and create in an ever-changing state of impermanence.” Even the album’s birth was split across different venues: ‘Incompletement’ was recorded at three Brooklyn practice spaces with producer Teddy O’Mara.
That’s not to say that the album feels unfocused or that SKORTS has an identity crisis. On the contrary, by creating from the philosophy of incompletement, the resulting album is cohesive, but not restricted. It reaches—and grasps—but doesn’t cling. SKORTS’ identity isn’t defined by their final product but by their process, which is probably why their live performances, the ultimate distillation of musical impermanence, have hypnotized audiences.
‘Incompletement’ is deliciously dense and joyously jarring. Cutting lyrics pin down SKORTS’ dreamy, fluid compositions like a butterfly on display. Equal parts propulsive and pulling, the opening track “Burden” boasts enveloping rhythms and layered harmonies that curl into themselves like the ethereal figures clutching pearls on the album cover. The guitar tones flit between bright and fuzzy, dragging the listener deeper and deeper. “Bodies” is defined by its cheeky 80s synth undercurrent. A staggered, winking beat ruptures into a forceful melody. The push-pull matches the warring restraint and release of the lyrics: “I'm lost and underdressed just to show you my skin / I promise I won't convince you to invite me in / And in the darkness we will shake / So fleeting and so temporary / Fading bodies what will we take.”
On “R4DR4M,” Walls’ haunted crooning matches the dark lyrics: “Trigger warnings, cereal boxes, serial killers at my doorstep / Cold soul be saved, from the wreckage comin' in, greet me with pain / Cold-hearted man, disease-tattered and frayed / Collect the eyes that fooled me with your fantasy.” A chugging, classic rock riff is reanimated with a disco-esque beat layered on top. “Eat Your Heart Out” has a classic punk attitude with an extra dash of irreverent, sing-along flair that matches the song’s title. Think Amyl and the Sniffers meets Blondie. The song’s repeating refrain ties in the theme of the album: “She's so exotic / She was made for incompletement.” The creeping opening to “Steal the Night” hisses into dark and grungy riffs. This track features the viscerality and distinct voice of SKORTS’ lyricism: “It’s lost underground in an ant pile / Get off of my back, I’m in denial / Get lost, sicko kid.”
A track with a hint of a Western jaunt to its rhythms, “Lace” is tender but not delicate, like a doily woven from a chain. It’s a song that thrives on juxtaposition like its memorable line that’s fanciful yet apocalyptic: “When the rats take over the city, dress them all in lace.” “Dizzy” would feel at home alongside Siouxsie and the Banshees on a playlist. This song strikes quick, sends you reeling, and sweeps you up in its raucous energy. On “I Won’t Be The One” heavy reverb, echoed vocals, and a punchy riff are condensed and simmered into a syrupy, heady track that rises to a boil. For the David Lynch fans, “Anyone” feels like you’re swaying in the middle of a checkered diner floor to a soulful track on the jukebox. Timeless and beguiling, “Anyone” captures a sense of nostalgia and yearning, complete with an instrumental break made for slipping into a memory.
Although the theme of ‘Incompletement” is a feeling of impermanence and ephemerality, SKORTS has captured lightning in a bottle with their debut album that will haunt your listening rotation this Halloween. After a festival appearance in Pennsylvania, SKORTS is embarking on their first European tour in November and December. Find their tour dates here, and listen to ‘Incompletement’ below.
