Perhaps you’ve never heard of ShitKid, and if not, you’re finding out too late, since the release of their newest album, Sort Stjerne! (translated from Swedish to Dark Star!), is their last. The double album is a collection of 22 unreleased tracks by artist Åsa Söderqvist, ranging through phases of lo-fi to synth-pop to garage rock, from recordings made in her car to ones produced in a “real studio.”

Since 2015, ShitKid has undergone changes in lineups, sounds and intentions, before coming to an abrupt end in late 2020, when Söderqvist went solo and released two albums, an EP and even a split LP with The Melvins earlier that year. While ShitKid’s visual brand is getting drunk in the woods, the musical sound is getting drunk at the beach. At times dark and melodic, at others surfy and upbeat, her lyrics are concise and sarcastic, getting to the core of loneliness, young love, and a desperate inability to control one’s emotions.

Starting with “Have You Heard About Me,” it’s not clear what to expect from the album. Slightly bluesy, Söderqvist’s grainy tune reverses the lost love trope by declaring herself as the one who won’t be found. “Dark Feelings” follows with a dark sound to guide the mood. With references to breaking up with Jesus, she narrates her own damnation.

“Love has got me feeling bored/ I’m on the road for dark feelings/ I ain’t seeing no light no more/ I must be close to glory, ‘Cause the gate has been closed for me,” she sings. She doesn’t seem concerned though, as heaven seems overrated.

“Song Bout Gold” has a higher production, where Söderqvist shows off as the alpha. “I think I’d do anything to sleep with you/ I think you know just what I’d do,” she sings. The lyrics are forward, which is one of the best characteristics of ShitKid. She expresses her urges with ease, giving a distinct impression of her strong personality. This sentiment is also heard in tracks like the electro-pop “Dampstep,” where she states, “Nobody likes me” and, “I should think before I speak.”

On “Real Studio” Söderqvist literally asks, “What are you supposed to feel in a real studio?” It’s a highly autobiographical song where the production wavers from high to extremely lo-fi. “I like when it’s clean,” she says, though seeming to prefer the personal touch of independent production. “Woo 2,” a modern punk song with a classic feel, is like a re-envisioning of The Shangri-Las “Remember (Walking in the Sand).” Söderqvist expresses the nature of a woman scorned. A mix of electric guitar and pure cacophony, it’s the sound your brain makes when you realize you’ve been gaslit.

Single “Runt På Stranden” translates to “Around the Beach” and is sung in English about a lonely and satisfying trip to the ocean. “This might sound like a lonely place but I’m holdin’ hands with my very best friend/ A pre-roll and my telephone is all I need to make me feel at home,” she sings, hinting at what specifically entertains the younger generations. The album also includes the song called “Round The Beach,” which the same song but sung in Swedish. Very cheeky.

The album features melancholy tracks like “In Love,” a simple and short song consisting purely of Söderqvist’s vocals and four chords on an electric guitar. “I was always kind of weak and I was always kind of small/ And I was always kind of hurt, and I didn’t know my worth/ I was in love,” she sings about demoralizing love. It’s reminiscent of PJ Harvey’s 1993 self-recorded album, 4-Track Demos.

Pop tracks like “Single (Back 2),” “Anyway, (Was It Worth It),” and “Seen It Before” showcase ShitKid’s more recent sound. They’re polished yet still grungy in motifs, with reverb, precious melodies and cynical takes on love. Songs like “79tempo” and “Fall Into Pieces” are all sluggish laments about wanting to belong and searching for friendship while fighting to control one’s feelings. The album runs the gamut on emotions, repeating certain motifs like combative love, isolation, witchery and general hell.

In Åsa Söderqvist’s career with ShitKid, she and the revolving cast of bandmates created a unique brand of music for precocious teens who shave off their eyebrows. Well, maybe only Söderqvist shaves off her eyebrows, but she makes it look so cool. While she claims to be leaving music permanently, hopefully, it’s simply a youthful rebellion against her talent and not an end to her unique vision. Sort Stjerne! makes sure we get every last morsel of angsty rock this band’s created and serves as a final gift to witches and alpha bitches.

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