The Sh-Booms return with their new EP This Is a Test, led by its expansive title track “This Is a Test.”
The Sh-Booms have released their new EP This Is a Test, now available on all digital platforms, with a limited 12-inch vinyl edition sold at their shows and online. The four-track project marks the band’s first new recorded music since 2019. At the same time, it signals a bold shift as the group expands beyond its classic soul foundations.
This Is a Test is a sci-fi vision of two astronauts on a collision course in the cosmic ocean. As they delve into the great unknown they enter euphoric intergalactic love — but a treacherous mission may lay waste to the path forward. This is a test… now hold your breath.
Throughout the EP, the band blends soul with elements of post-punk, new wave, psychedelia, and funk. Despite the broader sound, the music still carries the communal and dance-driven energy that defines their live performances. The songs also reflect the emotional weight of modern life, touching on love, survival, loss, and resilience within a constantly changing urban world. Meanwhile, the title track opens the record with cinematic ambition and a sense of cosmic storytelling.
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Inside the Sound of This Is a Test
The title track from The Sh-Booms runs for more than six and a half minutes and signals a bold creative shift for the group. The band blends new wave textures, post-punk grooves, funk-inspired vocoder passages, and space-rock buildups. As the arrangement grows, the sound mirrors the emotional tension and excitement of new love.
Meanwhile, another track on the EP, “Sin & The City,” moves into darker territory and reflects on the psychological weight of life in the city. Vocalist Ruiz describes the song as a portrait of struggle within urban life, where loss and envy often shape people’s experiences. According to him, the track captures a harsh reality of survival and the pressure that comes with it.
The band recorded the EP with Grammy-nominated engineer Alan Armitage at his Orlando studio, The Snake Arcade. Later, Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer Emily Lazar finalized the project at The Lodge Mastering. During the sessions, the band embraced a loose and exploratory approach inspired by the spirit of The Basement Tapes. As a result, they layered classic soul foundations with more experimental sounds and arrangements.
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This Is a Test EP Track Listing
Side A
1. Love of a Ghost (Shivvvers)
2. This Is a Test
Side B
3. Broken Open
4. Sin & The City (Heavy Weather)
About The Sh-Booms
The Sh-Booms draw their inspiration from a time when live music revolved around movement, connection, and shared energy. Their sound echoes an era when crowds danced together rather than watched through phone screens. Frontman Ruiz recalls how his mother secretly attended record hops in downtown New Haven during the late 1950s and early 1960s. She even danced on Connecticut Bandstand alongside Bobby Darin. Later, Ruiz carried that spirit into the band’s identity, shaping a style rooted in sweat, rhythm, and collective motion.
At the same time, the group refuses to rely on nostalgia alone. Instead, The Sh-Booms combine vintage soul influences with the realities of modern life. Their music reflects themes such as broken homes, strained relationships, and the struggle for economic survival. This blend of classic inspiration and contemporary tension helped the band stand out in Orlando’s underground music scene.
The band entered a new chapter in 2015 when powerhouse vocalist Brenda Radney joined the lineup. Previously signed to Tennman Records, she brought commanding stage presence and emotionally rich vocals. As a result, the band gained momentum, sharing stages with acts like The Roots, of Montreal, KRS-One, Jacuzzi Boys, and The B-52’s.
After touring slowed in 2020, the group regrouped in the studio with longtime collaborator Alan Armitage. The sessions led to This Is a Test, a project that reflects both the band’s resilience and their desire to expand their sound. More than a comeback, the EP serves as a creative reset that aims to move both bodies and minds.
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